Holy Family University is proud to offer students a highly supportive learning environment that values their personal and professional goals. Students in our Education program thrive in our small yet challenging learning environment. We believe in educating beyond the classroom and providing opportunities for hands-on experience, which is a key component of your college education.
Middle Level 4–8 Certification:
In addition to your core curriculum and major classes, you will focus on one or two subject concentrations and complete a variety of field experiences in local public and parochial schools, which enables you to teach in grades 4–8 with subject matter concentration in Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, or Language Arts and Reading. Upon graduation, Middle Level 4–8 education majors will qualify for the Pennsylvania Instructional I Certificate. Dual concentrations are available in more than one area if coupled with science or mathematics.
Program highlights include:
- Educational Psychology
- Reading and Language Arts
- Computer Use and Instructional Media
- Classroom Management
- Education Methods and Curriculum Content
- Child and Adolescent Development
- Middle Level concepts and philosophy
Built in 2004, the state-of-the-art Education & Technology Center was designed for one purpose—to train teachers. The facility features the most advanced equipment, including total wireless capability, live video conferencing, and translation capabilities for conferences. Along with general-purpose classrooms, the facility also features four specialized classrooms for the teaching of reading, science and math, early childhood, middle level, and special education.
We strongly believe in placing students into the field and into as many different classroom environments as possible. Our comprehensive field placement program, unmatched in its amount and variety of field experiences, starts with freshman year and continues until graduation.
Freshman and Sophomore Year—Observations
In our unique program called “Observations,” you’ll begin visiting and experiencing a wide variety of teaching environments including preschool, middle school, high school, charter school, parochial school, inner-city school, suburban school, and more. You’ll write reflective journals, and you’ll relate what you’ve learned to classes you’re taking in your first year.
Junior Year—The Practicum
In your second year, in what is called “Practicum,” your experience will increase. You’ll be placed one day a week, for a full day, in a school working in a classroom with a teacher. You’ll do assignments, write lesson plans, teach several classes, and work with technology in the classroom.
Senior Year—Student Teaching
In your final year, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, you’ll do your “Student Teaching”—a full-time supervised student teaching semester in which you basically take over a class.
Partner School Districts
School districts working with our students include:
• Archdiocese of Philadelphia
• Bristol Borough
• Bristol Township
• Central Bucks
• Council Rock
• Mount Laurel
• New Hope-Solebury
• School District of Philadelphia
• and many, many more