Secondary Education

Why choose secondary education at North Central College?

Our secondary education graduates enjoy rewarding careers at nationally ranked high schools and middle schools. That’s no surprise, since our full-time faculty mentors you through a rigorous curriculum and field experience schedule, then help you identify the opportunities that will make all the difference for your education and your career. The Illinois State Board of Education, using National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards, recognizes North Central College as fully accredited in art, biology, chemistry, English, history, math, music and physical education and foreign language certifications in Spanish, French and German.

You can also:

Acquire excellent teacher preparation at renowned middle and high schools.
Prepare for state licensure to begin your teaching career.
Gain a special education endorsement through the Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I) concentration.
Meet potential employers at on-campus job fairs.
Major in a field in which you want to teach, such as art, music, the sciences, history or English.

New partnerships expand North Central College tradition of teacher-preparation excellence

North Central College builds upon its tradition of excellence in preparing educators by forging new partnerships with two additional school districts.

Bryan Taylor earns award for outstanding service to residence life at Honors Convocation

Bryan Taylor received the Carleen Verstraete Outstanding Resident Student Award during the 2013 Honors Convocation at North Central College.

Joy Hoffman earns Outstanding Major in Secondary Education Award

Joy Hoffman received the Outstanding Major in Secondary Education Award during the 2013 Honors Convocation at North Central College.

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Careers

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

Aurora School Districts
Chicago Public Schools
Naperville School District 203
Naperville Indian Prairie School District 204
Plainfield School District 202

John Wood

Physical Education major, Secondary Education minor

John’s teacher preparation started early. He was placed in practicums at all levels—elementary, middle and high school. He observed and worked alongside great teachers who “really included me in the experience.”

“North Central properly prepares you. Friends at other schools didn’t get the practice hours or classroom experience, so they were overwhelmed when they got to student teaching. They ended up going into another field, after all that schooling.”

John admits he chose North Central because of its coaching legends and track and field program. A star pole vaulter, he was a three-time conference champion. But he stayed at North Central because of what took place in his classes. “The small class...

Phillip Rossberg

Physical Education and Athletic Training double major, Secondary Education minor

After taking his first education class, Phillip was sold on teaching. “I realized I wanted to work with students. And teaching physical education gives students skills and strategies early in life to live more healthy lifestyles.”

His practical experience started early with practicums in middle and high schools and expanded to student teaching at an area high school. “What’s great about North Central is they give you experience teaching in different environments, cultures and economic levels. You’re better prepared.”

His professors were a big factor in his preparation too. “With small classes, you get more one-on-one time with your professors. And they have an open-door policy. If you have...

Sheri Starks

Chemistry major, Secondary Education minor

Sheri, a chemistry and physics teacher at Richards High School in Oak Lawn, IL, was recently selected to participate in a program with Argonne National Laboratory. “It includes three summers of research and a grant for classroom equipment,” Sheri says. “I’ve already been able to share my experiences with my students; they really enjoy hearing about how science is used in the real world.” Thanks to her Argonne research, her students have built nanocrystalline solar cells and worked with ferrofluids. Starks is acutely aware of the need to keep her students engaged. She works hard to make the field appealing to young people, especially her female students. “I explain that science can be very social,” she says. “...

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