North Central College - Naperville, IL

Elementary Education

Why choose elementary education at North Central College?

You’ll learn with the best of the best professors—people who demonstrate what great teaching means every day. As an elementary education major you’ll rack up 50 more hours of field experience than required by the State of Illinois. This additional experience will boost your teaching skills and confidence and strengthen your position in the job market. It will help you become a world-class educator who inspires young people to achieve their best.

You can also:

  • Student-teach in a variety of settings, from high-need schools in Chicago and Aurora to nationally recognized schools in and around Naperville.
  • Gain a special education endorsement through the new concentration in Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I).
  • Connect with working teachers and administrators who enjoy mentoring the next generation of teachers.
  • Study in an education department that’s fully accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education, which uses National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards to assess the programs offered at North Central College.

News

North Central College builds upon its tradition of excellence in preparing educators by forging new partnerships with two additional school districts.
Elizabeth Linning received the Outstanding Major in Elementary Education Award during the 2013 Honors Convocation at North Central College.
Elizabeth Novak ’14 and Monica Degenhardt ’14
Juniors Elizabeth Novak and Monica Degenhardt are chosen to represent North Central College in collegiate leadership conferences.

News

Internships

  • Aide, Owen Elementary, Naperville
  • Aide, Highland Elementary, Naperville
  • Classroom assistant, Oak Park School, Oak Park, IL
  • Aide, Junior/Senior Scholars, Naperville
  • Aide, Naperville Safety Town, Naperville
  • Exploring diversity intern, Dietrich Elementary, Aurora, IL
  • Exploring diversity intern, Ryerson Elementary, Chicago
  • Exploring diversity intern, Bardwell School, Aurora, IL
  • Marquette University
  • National University of Health Sciences
  • University of Notre Dame
  • Aurora and East Aurora School District 131
  • Chicago Public Schools
  • Naperville School District 203
  • Indian Prairie School District 204
  • Plainfield School District 202

Graduate Schools

Recent graduates in elementary education have been accepted at:

  • Marquette University
  • North Central College

Careers

Elementary education graduates frequently find teaching positions in districts within a 30-mile radius of North Central, like:

  • East Aurora School District 131
  • Chicago Public Schools
  • Naperville School District 203
  • Indian Prairie School District 204
  • Plainfield School District 202
Elementary Education major

What distinguished North Central’s education program for Emma was, “the amount of time and how quickly you get into the schools. I was tutoring during my first education class and in my first field experience my sophomore year … all real-world experiences that let you try out different ages and environments and find your best fit.”

Emma discovered her “best fit” when she joined other North Central students for a summer service trip to Kenya and worked with orphans in the schools.

“I saw their drive for learning and I loved the experience. I had considered teaching in high-need schools, but not seriously. Now I know I want to teach in a high-need environment.”

Schools around the College are...

Elementary Education major

Each year, Naperville’s Beebe Elementary School welcomes more than 20 North Central students like Amanda for field experience. These teachers-in-training spend 20 weeks observing the latest methods for teaching reading and language arts, developing and teaching lesson plans and working with small groups of pupils. It’s an inspiring experience for Amanda. “I look forward to spending more time learning with the students and watching them grow with the knowledge I help provide,” she says.