The elementary education major prepares the next generation of teachers to be leaders in the creation of more equitable classroom experiences for all children, regardless of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, language, and other differences. The program is intentionally designed to develop teacher candidates’ competence in working with current school systems while simultaneously cultivating the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to challenge existing systems that fail to support the learning needs of all children. The curriculum is guided by the principles of culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy and universal design for learning. Courses and clinical field experiences promote deep learning, equity, and social justice in the elementary classroom context.
This major is a professional teacher preparation program, approved by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Graduates of the major are prepared for professional certification in Elementary K-6 with endorsements in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Reading.
Coursework for the major
This is a limited access major with selective admission to the upper-division program in fall semesters only. Students must accumulate 60 credit hours and meet all Semester 4 critical tracking requirements to be a candidate for admission. The college admissions committee will consider an applicant’s entire record, including educational objectives, quality of courses completed, criminal or disciplinary actions, and test date. The application period is February through April for the following fall semester. An approved applicant would be assigned a course schedule and field placement schedule in Semester 5-8.