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Elementary Education/Special Education

Goshen College Alumni

Here are current positions held by some elementary education/ special education alumni:

2nd Grade Teacher
Intervention Paraprofessional
Kindergarten Teacher
Special Education Teacher
Family Support Worker
Retail Manager
1st Grade Teacher
Behavior Management Teacher
Psychotherapist
Linguistics Assistant

What Can I Do with this Major?

Overview

Nationally, there is a critical shortage of special education teachers. Completing this dual certification program dramatically increases a candidate’s marketability. In addition, all classrooms include students with special needs. We believe that all special education teachers need to know what regular classroom teachers know, and all regular classroom teachers need to know what special education teachers know. The combination of these two licensure content areas will prepare candidates to meet the needs of all students in their classroom.

Goshen College seeks to graduate teachers who interact with their students and the content they teach, lifelong learners who are professionally active and who put their faith into practice in all aspects of teaching and learning. GC is authorized by the Indiana Office of Educator Licensing and Development to prepare teachers for elementary and secondary schools. The teacher education program has been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education since 1954.

About the Coursework

To complete the elementary education/special education program, 12 additional hours are added to the elementary education program. Fieldwork at Goshen College takes place in a variety of classroom settings where students learn to teach language arts, math, social studies, science, art, physical education and music. Students also explore approaches to classroom management, discipline and evaluation.

School systems in the area cooperate with GC to provide strong and varied student teaching experiences. During the student teaching experience, students will work 12 or more weeks full time in a local school system and will be supervised by classroom teachers and college professors.

Possible courses include:

Foundations of Education
Learning Disorders
Fine Arts for Children
Special Education Issues
Exceptional Students
Adaptation and Assessment
Social and Emotional Disorders
Curriculum Studies: Social Studies

For a full list of requirements and courses, refer to the course catalog.

After satisfactorily completing an approved teaching program and the Praxis II exam, students will apply and be recommended for licensure. Goshen graduates are generally eligible for initial certification in other states.

Possible Career Paths

While the elementary education/special education major prepares students specifically for teaching at the elementary level, alumni work successfully in many different careers.

The list below provides several career options, but it is not exhaustive. Please note that some positions require additional education.