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Middle Childhood Education

The University of Mount Union’s Bachelor of Arts degree in middle childhood education degree and license prepares students to work with grades 4-9, with a choice of focus in language arts, science, social studies and mathematics. Middle childhood majors choose two of the four areas of emphasis in addition to a minor area of study. Similar to other education majors, middle childhood students begin field experience in the spring of freshman year with placements in a variety of school and agency settings.

Middle Childhood Education Major Quick Facts

The middle childhood education program requires 34 credit hours of coursework specific to the major, with an additional 12 hour reading requirement through the Ohio Department of Education and 32 hours for the University’s general education program, the Integrative Core. This allows students to explore areas of study outside their field of interest while developing essential leadership and communication skills that employers value.

Mount Union’s education majors also have several opportunities for hands-on experiences, including: 

  • Multiple field experiences and a semester of student teaching
  • Internships in the field with various schools and organizations including the Spectrum Education Center and the Alliance Middle School Navigators afterschool program
  • Opportunities to attend on-campus and regional conferences and professional development workshops
  • Membership in Kappa Delta Pi, an international honorary for education students, and The Student National Education Association (SNEA), a student-led organization for education majors and minors

Curriculum

As a middle childhood education major at the University of Mount Union, you will begin with an introduction to the teaching profession. While completing the middle childhood education major requirements, you will gain knowledge and understanding in the areas of content area literacy, phonics, assessment and multicultural education as well as two concentrations of your choice. You also will be required to participate in a pre-clinical and clinical practice as part of our CAEP accredited Teacher Education Program in order to better prepare you for a rewarding career in the field of education. 

At Mount Union, a middle childhood education degree with the completion of additional coursework leads to a teaching license for grades four through nine in two areas of concentration. We also offer additional coursework to add an endorsement for grades four through six in the other two areas of concentration.  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Candidates will demonstrate understanding of the subject matter areas and create meaningful learning experiences based on this knowledge.
  • Candidates will demonstrate an understanding of each student’s cognitive, Social, physical, and emotional development and to create learning opportunities that support student academic development.
  • Candidates will demonstrate the ability to recognize and value student diversity and the differences in how students learn and provide instruction to accommodate such diversity.
  • Candidates will demonstrate the ability to develop instructional plans based on student's needs, curriculum goals and models, subject matter and community.
  • Candidates will demonstrate pedagogical knowledge and skills and use this expertise to encourage each student to develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Candidates will demonstrate the ability to create a classroom environment that facilitates learning and a climate that encourages fairness, positive social interactions, active learning, and self-motivation.
  • Candidates will demonstrate effective verbal, nonverbal, written, technological, and media communication skills to support and enhance student learning.
  • Candidates will demonstrate an understanding of the role of assessment and the use of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate student learning.
  • Candidates will demonstrate the skills necessary for self-reflection and use this knowledge to analyze past experiences and pursue professional development opportunities.
  • Candidates will demonstrate the ability to collaborate with students, candidates, parents, community members, and professional colleagues in order to support student learning and development.
  • Candidate will demonstrate a sense of caring.

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