Assistant Professor of Education
Education - Elementary
Major
Why Study Elementary Education at Goshen College?
If you’re passionate about shaping young minds and creating inclusive, engaging classrooms, Goshen College’s elementary education program is the perfect place to start your journey. You’ll be part of a nationally respected teacher preparation program that blends theory with real-world practice—and centers values like equity, cultural responsiveness, and educational justice.
From your very first year, you’ll gain hands-on experience in local classrooms and build your confidence through small, supportive classes and one-on-one mentoring from experienced faculty. You’ll develop the tools to teach effectively in diverse settings while learning to lead with empathy, creativity, and purpose.
Goshen College has earned national accreditation by demonstrating excellence in content and pedagogy, clinical partnerships and practice, candidate recruitment, progressions and support, program impact, and quality assurance and continuous improvement from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. CAEP is a CHEA recognized national accreditor for educator preparation. Learn more about our accreditation and our CAEP accountability measures of success.
Career Paths
This program prepares students for licensure as educators and is designed to meet the standards set by the Indiana Department of Education. For more information, please view our Professional Licensure Disclosure.
Graduates from Goshen College’s elementary education program go on to become:
- Curriculum Designers
- Educational Program Coordinators
- Elementary School Teachers
- Literacy Specialists
- Reading Interventionists
You may also continue into graduate programs or take advantage of Goshen College’s Master of Arts in Teaching, Transition to Teaching and English Language Learners Licensure programs.
Elementary Education Curriculum and Credits
As an elementary education major, you’ll dive into courses on child development, curriculum design, reading instruction, assessment, classroom management, and more. But you won’t just study teaching—you’ll practice it. You’ll gain experience through multiple classroom placements and spend a full semester student teaching, so you graduate ready to lead your own classroom with confidence. This major requires a minimum of 37 credit hours, in addition to the Goshen CORE (63-76 credits).
This program requires a minor in one of the following options:
- Special Education (K-6) – 12 credit hours
- Special Education (K-12) – 15 credit hours
- English Learners (K-6) – 17 credit hours
Hands-On Learning Opportunities
- Participate in classroom placements starting your first year
- Complete a full semester of student teaching in local schools
- Join education-focused service projects and clubs
- Gain cross-cultural teaching experience through Study-Service Term
Scholarships
Additional scholarships for education majors may be available—be sure to check with the education department for more information.
Facilities & Resources
Our on-campus laboratory kindergarten provides a valuable opportunity to observe child development and behavior in a rich interactive environment. At Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, which hosts over 5,000 pre-K-12 students a year, you will have the chance to explore environmental education in a hands-on setting. Furthermore, if you travel abroad with our Study-Service Term, you will get the chance to work with children or youth in another part of the world!
Brooke Lemmon
Professor of Education
Director of Special EducationKathy Meyer Reimer
Professor of Education
Director of Elementary Student Teaching
Department ChairRobina Sommers
Assistant Professor of Education
Steven Thalheimer
Associate Professor of Education
Danae Wirth
Assistant Professor of Education
