Education
The elementary education major and education minors at Luther offer students many options in preparation for the teaching profession. Thorough classroom instruction, combined with extensive field experience, prepares students for careers in elementary, K-12, and secondary teaching.
Elementary education majors may choose from academic endorsements or special endorsements such as early childhood, reading, special education, English language learners, or middle school.
Of the many factors important for today’s teacher, none is more crucial than that of expertise in teaching methodology. Methods classes at Luther are closely integrated with elementary and secondary classrooms. Your college professors will be working with K-12 teachers in these courses, and you will have many direct experiences in the classroom. These occur at several points as you prepare to become a professional educator.
The Luther program begins in your first year with a practicum placement in the schools. This is an opportunity to test your potential for and interest in teaching. In the junior year, students are in the schools again in conjunction with their education methods coursework.
And the culmination of the program is the professional semester, a full term of student teaching. College supervisors work with cooperating K-12 teachers to insure a mentoring environment and to help students prepare their professional teaching portfolio.
For more detailed information about education at Luther, please visit the departmental website: http://education.luther.edu/.