College of Education & Human Services

Undergraduate Programs

The School of Education offers five undergraduate teacher certification programs: Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Middle Level Education, Special Education and Special Education/Elementary Education (Dual). With early planning, candidates may also take advantage of an opportunity to study abroad in the elementary education program. Students should work with their advisor if they are interested in the study abroad program.

Students in classroomProgram Locations

Candidates can complete any of the four programs entirely at the Macomb campus.

Candidates attending the Quad Cities campus complete the first two years of the elementary education at a community college or the Macomb campus and the final two years at the WIU campus in Moline, IL.

Program Accreditation

Our programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The Early childhood program is recognized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The Elementary Education program is recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International. State and national professional organization standards provide the foundation for the curriculum, field experiences, and student teaching experiences in both programs.

Program Goals

We prepare teachers to meet the highest standards in teaching. Candidates graduating from the elementary education, early childhood, middle level education, special education, or special education/elementary education program are empowered teachers who are, in turn, able to empower all learners in their classrooms.

Through coursework and a variety of teaching experiences, we prepare teachers who:

  1. Know the content they teach and are able to make this content meaningful for all students.
  2. Understand the unique needs and characteristics of individual learners.
  3. Use research-based best practices in their teaching to promote the growth, development, learning and empowerment of all learners representing our diverse society.
  4. Use research-based principles to plan effective instruction, integrate technology in instruction, assess student learning, and create and maintain positive, safe learning communities.
  5. Use professional dispositions, including those that promote fairness and reflect the belief that all individuals can be empowered to learn, to positively impact student learning.
  6. Reflect upon and are committed to the continual improvement of their teaching.

Program Faculty

Courses in the School of Education are taught by full-time faculty, most of whom have doctorates or terminal degrees in their field. Our faculty have taught in a variety of public and private school settings and have been recognized for their teaching excellence and the use of technology in teaching. They are active in the profession at the international, national, state, and local levels.

The faculty are committed to helping students develop into skilled, competent, and creative teachers. The individual assistance professors provide ensures this goal is achieved. Candidates are encouraged to communicate frequently with their professors through office visits, e-mail, and phone calls.

Program Coursework

A strength of all of the department programs is the number of courses candidates complete that prepare them to teach in their future classrooms.
Elementary Education majors complete four literacy methods courses, two science methods courses, two social studies methods courses, and two math methods courses.
Early Childhood Education majors take specific courses to prepare them to teach in pre-primary and primary classrooms.
Middle level education majors will choose an area of specialization from science, social studies, literacy, or math.  They will have an option to complete a second area of specialization if they choose to do so.
Special Education majors complete a variety of method courses as well as specific courses to prepare them to teach in special education classrooms.
Special Education/Elementary Education majors take courses that will allow them to have an option to teach in either primary or special education classrooms.

Field Experiences

Elementary Education, Middle Level Education and Early Childhood majors complete observations during the sophomore year of their program. During the junior year, candidates tutor students and provide assistance in local classrooms. In preparation for student teaching, candidates teach half days for at least twelve weeks during the first semester of the senior year.

Student Teaching

Student teaching can be completed in the following regions:

  • REGION A Chicago Suburbs (North, West and South)
  • REGION B Chicago Public Schools (City of Chicago)
  • REGION C Quad Cities (including Bettendorf/Davenport, IA)
  • REGION D Western/Central Illinois (Quincy, Peoria, Macomb)

Honors Program

We encourage eligible prospective majors to participate in an honors program designed to provide the exceptional and motivated candidate with additional opportunities for individualized educational experiences.

Candidates complete research-oriented projects within required department courses and participate in seminar discussions on current issues with faculty and fellow honors students.

To qualify for departmental honors, candidates must complete requirements for the Illinois Centennial Honors College at Western and the specific requirements for elementary/early childhood education majors. For more information about the Honors program, visit the University website at www.wiu.edu/Honors.

Advising

Candidates enrolled in our undergraduate programs are provided academic advising through the Center for the Preparation of Educational Professionals. The elementary, early childhood, middle level and special education advisors work closely with the department chair and faculty and assist individual candidates with registration, academic planning, and meeting graduation and certification requirements. http://www.wiu.edu/coehs/teacher/