Elementary education lays the foundation for a child's future learning habits and goals.

Beyond instruction in the three Rs, these teachers play an important role in the development of young students' critical thinking skills and their ability to adapt to new situations and socialize with their peers. Plant the seed. Foster the next generation of leaders and innovators.

A First-Class Experience

Get to know the people and programs that will define your academic journey.

Student-Faculty Research Highlights: Education

Meet the Faculty

Our distinguished faculty publish, exhibit and research. Present, compose and chair. Inspire and collaborate.

The Curriculum

View the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog to find course titles, numbers and descriptions.

Students interested in Elementary Teaching Licensure (grades 1-6) will complete the liberal studies major and the education major. The liberal studies major is designed specifically for elementary licensure and to prepare elementary teachers in the content they will teach.

Liberal Studies Major Requirements for Elementary Education Majors

  • BIOL1101 Life on Earth (SI-L) (NSL)
  • CHEM1110 Introduction to Physical Sciences (SI-L) (NSL)
  • ENGL2101 Romance and Conquest in British Literature: 900-1600 (AI-L) (LI) OR ENGL2102 Imperialism and Resistance in British Literature: 1800-Present (AI-L) (LI) (DM) OR ENGL2304 American Voices I (AI-L) (LI) (DM) OR ENGL2604 American Voices II (AI-L) (DM)
  • HIST1106 United States History Since 1877 (H) (HI)
  • HIST1108 World History to 1500 (H) (HI) (DM)
  • MATH1120 Foundations of Mathematics for Teachers I (QA) (QR)
  • MATH1122 Foundations of Mathematics for Teachers II (QA) 
  • MATH2122 Foundations of Mathematics for Teachers III (QA) 

Choose one 2000-level course

  • ART2217 American Art: An Anti-Racist Progressive History (AI-A) (VCI) (DM)
  • ECON2203 An Economic View of the World (SA) (SS)
  • SOC2129 Cultural Geography (SA) (SS)
  • PSYCH2303 Child Development (SA) (SS)

Choose one 3000-level course

  • ENGL3307 Survey Literature for Children and Young Adults 
  • POLSC3202 The American Presidency
  • POLSC3210/EDUC3210 The Politics of Education Policy: Developing Agency (SJ) 
  • PSYCH3210 Child Psychopathology

 

First Year

  • EDUC1111 The Great American Experiment (SA) (SS) (SJ)

Second Year

  • EDUC2211 Learning, Teaching and the Elementary Curriculum
  • EDUC2212 Teaching All Students, Grades 1-6*

Third Year

  • EDUC3211 Literacy and Literacy Methods I
  • EDUC3212 Literacy and Literacy Methods II*
  • EDUC3213 Mathematics Methods for Elementary Grades*
  • EDUC3215 Explorations in Science and Engineering: Grades 1-6
  • EDUC3300 Sheltered English Instruction: Teaching English Language Learners
  • EDUC3315 Social Studies Methods: Grades 3-12

Fourth Year

  • EDUC4467 Student Teaching Practicum
  • EDUC4468 Student Teaching Capstone Seminar

* Includes pre-practicum field-based experience

The programs of study in elementary and secondary education is designed to develop students' abilities in the seven performance areas required for initial licensure in elementary and secondary teaching in the state of Massachusetts. Upon completion of the elementary or secondary education programs at Emmanuel, students will be able to:

  • Create safe and well-managed learning environments which promote equity and collaboration among heterogeneous learners and nurture development across the cognitive, emotional and social domains.
  • Plan learning experiences which involve learners as sense-makers and promote deep understanding of disciplinary ideas by engaging learners in active exploration of real-world problems, materials, and challenges, and examining student work products to make assessments of learning and teaching.
  • Utilize a broad range of instructional practices, reflective of the ways of knowing in the disciplines they teach, to ensure that all learners regardless of differences in readiness, background, learning style, culture, or language competency have opportunities to learn through access to a rich curriculum.
  • Forge positive relationships with families and engage in regular, two-way, culturally proficient communication with families about students and their learning, and build into the curriculum materials the richness of the cultures and heritage of the students they teach.
  • Develop curricula which deepens learners' appreciation for American civic culture, its underlying ideals, founding principles and political institutions and which actualizes learners' capacities to participate and lead in their communities, both locally and globally.
  • Advance issues of social justice within the classroom, school and community.
  • Contribute to the knowledge base about learning, teaching and assessment and participate in a culture of reflective practice and inquiry.
Where Essential Values and Skills Meet the Real World

Where Essential Values and Skills Meet the Real World

Along with areas of knowledge and major requirements, you will cultivate essential values in the classroom and complete two courses in each area:

  • Social Justice (SJ): Develop knowledge, skills, values and motivation to participate beneficially in activities of personal and public concern.
  • Diversity & Multiculturalism (DM): Understand the complexity of identity the historical truths of different cultural perspectives to address bias and examine contemporary social issues. 

One hundred percent of Emmanuel students complete an internship or practicum as part of the core curriculum. In a city as dynamic as Boston, your options are bound only by the limits of your curiosity.

Students from the School of Education complete their student teaching at many sites in Boston, including Boston Latin School, Cathedral High School, Eliot Innovation School, Fenway High School, OLPH Mission Grammar School, Richard J. Murphy School, and the Maurice Tobin School.

In all majors, the Capstone Experience involves completing a significant piece of work that requires the integration and application of learning from multiple courses.

The student teaching practicum and capstone seminar in the final year of study are the culminating experience for students completing majors in education. The experience integrates supervised student teaching with a seminar that requires active reflection on instructional practice. Students complete a portfolio to demonstrate their achievement of the learning goals of the Education major.