As an English education major at Grace, you will have the opportunity to make meaningful relationships with students and be equipped to provide quality instruction, engaging lesson plans, and differentiation to meet the specific needs of your students.
Grace College’s School of Education is founded on the ideology of “teacher as a moral practitioner.” We are deeply committed to instilling the principles of character, competence, and service in our future teachers. This comes from Micah 6:8, which states, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Ultimately, we look to Jesus, the greatest teacher, as our guide.
Nationally recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English, our English education major guides students as they build a strong foundation of knowledge they can apply to the classroom setting.
The first half of the secondary English education degree focuses heavily on pedagogy and core educational principles. These classes dive deep into the importance of relationships, student engagement, and classroom environment. Later courses are rich in evidence-based practices for teaching English to middle and high school students. You’ll complete your program with a semester-long placement student teaching at a local school!
Throughout your time at Grace, you will also focus on the studies of writing, literature and communication. These courses invite students to explore American, British, and young adult literature and to study authors such as Jane Austen, Robert Frost, and Fredrick Douglas.
Education courses also provide a lot of real-world experience. In your very first teaching class, you will get the opportunity to observe and assist in a classroom for 20 hours. From there, you will continue to accumulate experience in the local schools by completing observations and teaching one-on-one, small-group, and whole-class lessons. Before student teaching, you will have completed more than 150 hours of classroom experience!
After you earn your bachelor’s degree in English education, you will be able to pursue a teaching license that will allow you to teach fifth grade through 12th grade. Ultimately, our desire is for you to love your students well and truly make an impact on lives as you share your appreciation for literature.
