Childhood Education
Keuka College’s unified childhood/special education program will prepare you to teach a diverse child population as you take coursework leading to certification in both childhood and special education for grades 1-6.
You'll learn to apply developmentally appropriate teaching methods, and lesson plans to fit the skills and cognitive level of children in their grammar school years. As classrooms become increasingly multifaceted, you’ll understand how age, differing rates of development, and socioeconomic background play a pivotal role in how children learn.
Combine your classroom instruction with at least two Field Period™ internships at the childhood level, and you’ll be ready for student teaching...and soon for your own classroom.
Program Overview
Childhood/special education majors pursue certification to teach children from first through sixth grades, in both regular and special education settings. Build toward a student-teaching placement through education courses and Field Period™ experiences that prepare you with a knowledge base in developmental psychology, classroom management, and lesson-planning for both general and special education students.
During your junior year, faculty will lead you through the pivotal Methods course which teaches education majors how to teach, including opportunities to design classroom lessons and present them in front of your fellow education majors. Prepare for diverse experiences in real-world classroom settings and discover the teaching methodologies and practices that will make you an effective instructor when leading your own classroom.
You can choose concentrations in art, American Sign Language, English, child and family studies, global studies, mathematics, Spanish, or science.
There are many ways to get involved outside the classroom at Keuka College. Hone your skills in education with extracurricular clubs and honor societies such as:
- Childhood Education Club
- Council for Exceptional Children/Special Education Club (CEC/SPED)
- Education Club
- Lambda Theta Lambda, Education Honor Society
Prospective students intending to major in unified childhood/special education, unified early childhood/special education, or in adolescent education in English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, or social studies should declare their intention upon entering Keuka College, but may transfer into an education program if they have enrolled in a different program.
Application Process for Teacher Certification Programs
All sophomores in good standing and equivalent transfer students who complete (or transfer in) a list of freshmen-level introductory courses by the end of an academic year are eligible to apply to the Teacher Certification Program in the Fall of their sophomore year, before enrolling in major specific professional courses.
A satisfactory completion of the application process requirements will allow students to be admitted to and continue in the Teacher Certification Path.
Application process requirements include:
Successful completion of:
- EDU 105,
- ENG 112 (or equivalent),
- MAT 102 (or equivalent),
- EDU 210
Achieve a minimum GPA requirement:
- Overall GPA: 2.6,
- Education GPA: 2.67, and
- Content GPA: 2.67
Complete required forms and tasks:
- Submit an Application form
- Participate in a Dispositions, Attributes, and Proficiencies (DAP) group interview
- Participate in an Oral Fluency task
Students’ results are reviewed and subsequent recommendations for admittance to the certification program or dismissal are communicated to students before their junior year begins.
Requirements for Student Teaching
To be eligible for placement in student teaching, a student must have an overall grade-point-average (GPA) of 2.75, and a GPA of 3.0 in all education courses. In addition, adolescent education majors need a concentration GPA of 3.0. This level must be attained one semester prior to the student teaching placement. The candidate must have successfully completed the education Field Period requirements.
