1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Departments and Programs
  4. Education, Counseling and Leadership Department
  5. Major
  6. Elementary Education

Elementary Education

The elementary education program prepares you for the State of Illinois Professional Educator's License in Elementary Education, which qualifies you to teach children from first through sixth grade. It also includes an English as a Second Language endorsement that licenses you to teach English Language Learners.

Preparing You For Success

You participate in classroom field experiences your first year, then you gain additional field experiences your sophomore and junior years. These prepare you for the senior year student teaching experience. Bradley faculty and your supervising teachers are valuable mentors throughout the process.

Additionally, Bradley is the first university in Illinois to embed the ESL endorsement within its early childhood, elementary, middle school and special education degrees. That experience enhances your value to school districts as English Language Learners are one of the fastest-growing demographics in Illinois schools.

The Department of Education, Counseling, and Leadership is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education. It also is a member of the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI).

By the time you graduate, your experiences include:

  • Professional development and licensure in elementary education
  • More than 100 hours in classroom settings for the ESL endorsement
  • More than 600 hours of field experience and student teaching in local classrooms
  • Instruction and mentorship from faculty who taught on six continents, published 30 books on education and served in educational leadership at state and national levels
  • Research opportunities with faculty
  • Use of technology such as Smart Board, virtual reality, 3-D printing and wearable devices

Making Your Mark

Bradley’s elementary education completers and graduates boast a 100 percent pass rate on Illinois licensure tests, including the national edTPA portfolio evaluation. That success means you can enter the teaching profession or graduate school after graduation. As an educator, you can consider future graduate studies in curriculum and instruction or other fields.

Major Requirements

Courses for a Balanced Curriculum - 9-12 hrs.

  • ETE 260: Children's Literature - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 107: Conceptualizing Math for Teachers I - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 108: Conceptualizing Math for Teachers II - 3 hrs.
  • Grammar/Linguistics (ENG 311/312) - 3 hrs.
  • Geography (HIS 336/337) - 3 hrs.
  • MTH 109: College Algebra - 3 hrs.*
  • THE 335: Children's Theatre - 3 hrs.

*College Algebra may be waived in several ways. Students should consult with their advisor.

Professional Education Requirements - 77 hrs.

  • ETE 100: Technology Applications - 1 hr.
  • ETE 107: Conceptualizing Math for Teachers I - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 108: Conceptualizing Math for Teachers II - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 115: The History of Education in the United States - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 116: Field Experience - Schools and Schooling - 1 hr.
  • ETE 194: Physical Education in the P-6 Schools - 1 hr.
  • ETE 196: Fine Arts in the P-6 Schools - 2 hrs.
  • ETE 210: Human Development from Birth to Young Adulthood - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 211: Human Development from Birth to Young Adulthood and Effective Teaching Field Experience - 1 hr.
  • ETE 215: Strategies for Effective Teaching - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 230: Adapting Curriculum to Support Inclusive Environments - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 234: Language Development - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 235: Methods of Teaching English Language Learners - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 236: Assessment of English Language Learners - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 237: Practicum for Teaching English Learners I - 1 hr.
  • ETE 240: Practicum for Teaching English Learners II - 2 hrs.
  • ETE 260: Children's Literature - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 270: Physical Development and Health - 1 hr.
  • ETE 280: Exploring Diversity: Learners, Families and Communities - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 306: Novice Teaching Experience 1-6 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 310: Teacher Performance Assessment - 1 hr.
  • ETE 313: Methods of Teaching Literacy I: Reading, Writing and Language Arts K-2 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 315: Methods of Teaching Literacy II: Reading, Writing and Language Arts 3-8 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 335: Methods of Teaching Social Studies 1-6 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 336: Methods of Teaching Science 1-6 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 339: Methods of Teaching Mathematics 1-6 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 345: Guiding Learners: Creating Safe, Inclusive Learning Environments - 3 hrs.

Student Teaching Courses (choose one) - 12 hrs.

  • ETE 494: Student Teaching for LBS I and 1-6 - 12 hrs.
  • ETE 495: Student Teaching in Early Childhood and 1-6 - 12 hrs.
  • ETE 498: Student Teaching 1-6 - 12 hrs.