Special Education
Special Education Teaching
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’s love by encouraging each student to recognize his or her potential. Northwestern’s “teacher as servant” philosophy will help you identify your students as God’s children, bringing Christ to the center of your work in the classroom.
Why NWC?
Northwestern’s education faculty have experience across grade levels and disciplines in public, private, rural and urban 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.
With Northwestern’s special education teaching major, you’ll receive endorsements in all three levels of special education:
- Strat I: Mild/Moderate K-12
- Strat II: Behavioral/Learning Disabilities K-12
- Strat II: Intellectual Disabilities K-12
Assistant Professor of Education
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 alumni working in special education at schools such as:
Experience
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.
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.
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.
Northwestern also offers 8 in-demand Master of Education tracks, so you can pursue additional graduate-level training in early childhood education, teacher leadership, teaching history and more.
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.
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.
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.
Northwestern also offers 8 in-demand Master of Education tracks, so you can pursue additional graduate-level training in early childhood education, teacher leadership, teaching history and more.
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Faculty + Staff
Brilliant scholars. Committed Christians. Invested in you. That’s Northwestern’s faculty.
Mary Beth Breen ’04
Instructor in Education
Dr. Derek Brower '89
Professor of Education
Dr. Heather Hayes
Assistant Professor of Education
Dr. Angila Moffitt
Program Director, Master of Education Programs
Assistant Professor in Education
Dr. Chris Nonhof
Associate Professor of Education and English
Tamara Schram
Program Director, Online B.A. in Early Childhood
Instructor in Education
Dr. Carrie Thonstad
Assistant Professor of Education; Licensure Official; Department Chair
Heidi Vasher
Instructor in Education
Scott Bahrke ’01
Instructor in Business Education
Beth LeTendre Oolman
Instructor in Education
