Elementary Education: Bachelor of Arts/Science
The Elementary Education program is highlighted by in-depth study in a subject major or dual minors, extended field experience in elementary school settings, and focused development of the knowledge and skills critical for effective teachers.
Elementary-level teacher certification in Michigan permits individuals to teach in self-contained classrooms at grade K - 8, and in all subjects at grades K -5. Individuals may also qualify to teach the subjects of their academic major or minors in grades 6 - 8.
Students begin their studies with a focus on general education requirements, and an academic major or two academic minors. They complete the initial professional education coursework in their sophomore year, and apply for formal admission to the program at the end of that year. By that time, they will have also passed the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification Basic Skills test.
Upper level professional education coursework, along with the completion of the major or minors, is the focus for the junior and senior years. Student teaching, a semester-long culminating experience, may be completed in the spring of the fourth year or fall of the fifth year, depending on the individual student's progress through the program. Generally, this student teaching experience will be in the Eastern Upper Peninsula or in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification Elementary Education tests must be passed prior to beginning student teaching.
Note: Candidates who pass the Michgian Test for Teacher Certification in their major or minors meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act and are considered "highly qualified" for the subject areas of the endorsements shown on their Michigan teaching certificates.
The components of the Elementary Education Bachelor of Arts/Sciences programs are:
Subject Area Preparation - Students may complete either of the following options:
- An academic major in either Language Arts or Mathematics (see requirements in this catalog for these teaching majors)
- Two academic minors, one in Language Arts and one in Mathematics (see the requirements in this catalog for these teaching minors)
Elementary Planned Program (49 credits)
- MATH103 Number Systems & Problem Solving 4
- MATH104 Geometry & Measurement 4
- MATH207 Principles of Statistical Methods 3
- BIOL104 Survey of General Biology 4
- NSCI101 Conceptual Physics 4
- NSCI102 Introduction to Geology 4
- POLI110 American Government 4
- GEOG201 World Regional Geography 4
- HIST131 United States History I 4
- HIST321 History of Michigan 2
- ENGL222 English Grammar 3
- ENGL335 Children’s Literature in the Classroom 3
- ENGL180 Introduction to Literary Studies 3
- CHLD420 Emergent Literacy 3
Professional Education Sequence (47 credits)
- EDUC250 Student Diversity & Schools 4
- EDUC301 Learning Theory and Teaching Practice 3
- EDUC330 Reading in the Elementary Classroom 3
- EDUC350 Integrating Technology into 21st Learning Environments 3
- EDSE301 Introduction to Special Education 3
- EDUC410 Corrective Reading in the Classroom 3
- EDUC411 Elementary Language Arts and Methods Across the Curriculum 3
- EDUC415 General Instructional Methods 2
- EDUC420 Math Methods for Elementary Teachers 2
- EDUC421 Science Methods for Elementary Teachers 2
- EDUC422 Social Studies Methods for Elementary Teachers 2
- EDUC423 Arts Methods for Classroom Teachers 2
- EDUC424 Health/Physical Education Methods for Classroom Teachers 2
- EDUC460 Classroom Management 2
- EDUC480 Directed Teaching Seminar 2
- EDUC492 Directed Teaching 10
Formal admission to the Elementary Education program, qualification for student teaching, and successful completion of the program requires:
- Completion of the Professional Education Sequence courses with a grade of B- (2.70) or higher.
- Completion of all required courses in the education cognates, teaching major or teaching minors with a GPA of 2.70 or higher and no grade below a C (2.00).
- Completion of the elementary planned program with a GPA of 2.70 or higher and no grade below a C (2.00).
- Completion of the General Education Core Requirements with a gpa of 2.00 or higher.
- Passing scores on all required Michigan Test for Teacher Certification tests.
The Elementary Education program undergoes periodic review, evaluation, and alignment with the Michigan Department of Education standards. Since program approval and renewal cycles vary, individuals should contact the School of Education regularly to confirm the current requirements of each program component. Graduates must meet the standards that are in place at the time of completion of their programs, in order to be recommended to the Department of Education for teacher certification.
General Education: All LSSU bachelor's degree candidates must complete the LSSU general education core requirements, or have earned the MACRAO Stamp (Michigan Community College transfer students), or have completed the general education certification (Sault College transfer students), or have already earned a bachelor's degree (honors bachelor degree from a Canadian University).
Bachelor of Arts degree (8 credits): One year of a modern language other than English. If taken at LSSU, this would be CHIN151-CHIN152 or CHIN251-CHIN252; FREN151-FREN152 or FREN251-FREN252; NATV141-NATV142 or NATV201-NATV202; or SPAN161-SPAN162. One-half year of two different languages will not meet this requirement.