Elementary Education

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Elementary Education

Most teachers would agree there is nothing more rewarding than watching your students learn, grow and succeed. For the Christian educator, there is the added joy of sharing Jesus’ love by encouraging each student to recognize his or her potential. Northwestern’s “teacher as servant” philosophy will help you to identify your students as God’s children, bringing Christ to the center of your work in the classroom.

Major requirements

Elementary Education
Why NWC?

Why NWC?

Northwestern’s education faculty have experience with diverse grade levels and disciplines in both public and private school settings. They will support you throughout your journey to becoming a teacher, from applying to the teacher education program during your sophomore year to applying for licensure as a senior. 

Whatever you hope to teach, your adviser will help you create a customized course schedule to achieve certification in your area of interest. We offer endorsements in: 

CONTACT
Dr. Carrie Thonstad
Dr. Carrie Thonstad
Department Co-Chair
100% GRAD PLACEMENT 100% of elementary ed majors find a job or enroll in graduate school within six months of graduation.
ACCREDITED PROGRAM by the Iowa Department of Education and Higher Learning Commission
ACEI RECOGNITION Our program has earned national recognition from the Association for Childhood Education International.

Outcomes

Northwestern grads have high graduate placement rates for a reason—their dedication to giving students a Christ-centered education stands out, and they have the experience and bank of effective program plans to prove it.

Join our standout elementary education alumni in roles such as:

Lead teacher, Head Start
Sibley, IA
Sixth grade math teacher, Vista Peak Elementary School
Aurora, CO
Special education teacher, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial School District
Lake Crystal, MN

Experience

100+ classroom hours

100+ classroom hours

As an education major at Northwestern, you won’t have to wait until your senior year to begin work in the classroom. Nearly every education class includes a field experience with students in area K–12 schools, so by the time you’re given a student-teaching assignment, you’ll have spent more than 100 hours working with students. 

Student teaching

Student teaching

Here’s what your student-teaching experience might look like: 

  • Stick close to campus and teach at a school within 60 miles of NWC.
  • Venture abroad for a semester and teach overseas—Northwestern students have taught in countries that include Ethiopia, Germany and New Zealand.

Mission + service opportunities

Mission + service opportunities

If you enjoyed participating in high school mission trips, you’ll have even more opportunities to engage in service at Northwestern.

  • Participate in Romania Semester and work with New Horizons Foundation, an organization that uses adventure education to empower local teens.
  • Volunteer as an English or subject-area tutor for area schoolchildren.
  • Serve as a peer mentor for the Northwestern NEXT program, a college experience for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
  • Take a 10-day or 10-week mission trip to locations around the globe, where you might volunteer with after-school programs or teach ESL and vacation Bible school. 

Bachelor’s + beyond

Bachelor’s + beyond

Northwestern also offers 8 in-demand Master of Education tracks, so you can pursue additional graduate-level training in early childhood education, special education, educational administration and more. 

100+ classroom hours

As an education major at Northwestern, you won’t have to wait until your senior year to begin work in the classroom. Nearly every education class includes a field experience with students in area K–12 schools, so by the time you’re given a student-teaching assignment, you’ll have spent more than 100 hours working with students. 

Student teaching

Here’s what your student-teaching experience might look like: 

  • Stick close to campus and teach at a school within 60 miles of NWC.
  • Venture abroad for a semester and teach overseas—Northwestern students have taught in countries that include Ethiopia, Germany and New Zealand.

Mission + service opportunities

If you enjoyed participating in high school mission trips, you’ll have even more opportunities to engage in service at Northwestern.

  • Participate in Romania Semester and work with New Horizons Foundation, an organization that uses adventure education to empower local teens.
  • Volunteer as an English or subject-area tutor for area schoolchildren.
  • Serve as a peer mentor for the Northwestern NEXT program, a college experience for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
  • Take a 10-day or 10-week mission trip to locations around the globe, where you might volunteer with after-school programs or teach ESL and vacation Bible school. 

Bachelor’s + beyond

Northwestern also offers 8 in-demand Master of Education tracks, so you can pursue additional graduate-level training in early childhood education, special education, educational administration and more.