Major Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education prepares students under our knowledge-based model of Teacher as Reflective Communicator to be liberally educated, content knowledgeable, articulate, methodologically sound, and caring reflective communicators. These students will be reflective teachers who, through reflection, adjust content and method for a given audience, purpose, and context.

The Elementary Education program will prepare students for licensure in kindergarten through sixth grade. Through the program, students will earn a B.S. degree. If, however, a student chooses to earn a B.A. degree, he or she must complete the 200-level sequence (six additional semester hours) of a foreign language.

The Education Discipline

The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education prepares students under a knowledge-based model of “The Teacher as Reflective Communicator,” to be liberally educated, content knowledgeable, pedagogically sound, and thoroughly articulate teachers who through reflection, learn to adjust content and method for a given audience, purpose, and context. 

Specific goals include:

• Addressing content curriculum areas specific to elementary education as reflected in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study
• Demonstrating pedagogy appropriate to research-based cognitive, affective and skill development models of teaching.
• Communicating thoughtfully, and reflecting continually on analytic and practical learning theory-based integration of curriculum with the academic/developmental needs of the student.
• Integrating disciplines across the curriculum, especially communication skills, computers and technology, and critical thinking.
• Demonstrating capabilities/dispositions to make decisions, form dispositions and attitudes, and establish values within the context of complex, diverse populations.
• Assisting students in becoming involved in professional organizations and lifelong learning.

Professional Education Objectives

Based on the mission of the college, a sound liberal arts education, and a major in a content-specific major, and through the force of the programmatic theme, the courses and experiences offered in the professional education curriculum are designed to foster in each student:

• The knowledge of current schools, schooling, and teaching as a profession; including the historical, social, spiritual, and philosophical foundations of American education; organizational, curricular, and legal aspects; and trends affecting schools and teaching.
• The knowledge of the characteristics of students who make up the schools, including human growth and development (cognitive, moral, social, spiritual, physical, and emotional); and the culturally diverse and exceptional populations of students.
• A knowledge of the psychological principles and theories that underlie effective educational practices, including developmental processes, individual differences and motivation, learning theory, measurement and evaluation, and teacher behavior.
• A knowledge of the interrelated processes of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing, including how to teach the reading and writing processes.
• A knowledge of and facility with three primary teaching strategies—presentation, questioning, and induction, including organizing, managing, and evaluating teaching and learning; using related media, research related to student achievement; and content-specific research and practice.
• The necessary tools for a successful internship, including the ability to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge and experience; the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning; and the ability to make decisions through knowledge, reflection, and caring dispositions, and through an integration of faith and learning.
• A desire to become a lifelong learner, particularly through association with professional organizations.

Entrance Requirements for Education Students

Acceptance by Montreat College is not the same as acceptance into the education curriculum. Admission to the Education program is open to all Montreat College students who meet the standards established by the College’s Teacher Education Committee (TEC), the North Carolina State Department for Public Instruction (NC-DPI), and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

• Complete Education 220.
• Pass the Praxis reading (176), writing (173), and mathematics (173) examination.
• Earn a minimum 2.7 grade point average, with a minimum grade of C- in all major and education courses.
• Complete no more than one-half of the professional studies sequence (excluding student teaching) prior to being formally admitted into the education program.
• Interview with the Teacher Education Committee.

Requirements for Continuation in the Program

• Maintain the academic requirements as stated above.
• Participate in 45 hours field experience each semester enrolled in education courses.
• Earn a minimum grade of C- in all major and education courses.

Entrance Requirements for the Student Teaching Block

• Earn a minimum 2.7 grade point average.
• File an “Application for Student Teaching” form with the Education Department.
• Obtain a recommendation from the major department.
• Complete an interview with the Teacher Education Committee for the purpose of determining professional competence/dispositions.

Program Completion Requirements

• Maintain a minimum 2.7 grade point average.
• Complete student teaching experience with a minimum grade of C.
• Attempt Praxis specialty area examinations.        
• Complete all forms for licensure.
• Complete all degree and licensure requirements.
• Complete the senior exit portfolio.

Requirements for Licensure in Education

To receive a teaching license, students must major in Elementary Education and take the licensure courses in education. In addition, graduates must also pass the Praxis II specialty area exams to be eligible for employment in the North Carolina school system.