As a Secondary Education (grades 9-12) major, you will earn a degree that includes a Professional Educator License (PEL). This major is for those who want to teach high school students in a particular subject area. During the program, you will interact with experienced faculty who model best teaching practices and teach skills that are directly applicable in the classroom. You will receive personal attention in small classes, guided by both a content advisor and an education advisor. While pursuing a B.A. or B.S. in Secondary Education, you can also earn a teaching endorsement in Middle Grades Education with no additional coursework required.
As you progress through your program, you will work in settings that provide opportunities for collaboration, mentoring and networking with education professionals in the surrounding area. You will also also have the opportunity to further increase your marketability by adding any of the following endorsements to your program of study: Special Education (LBSI), ESL or Bilingual Education.
The University of St. Francis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. College of Education programs are further approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (isbe.net).
Through field experience, you will have the opportunity to broaden your teaching experiences and develop cultural awareness while working in a local classroom every semester of your program. This unique opportunity provides significant time to interact with students, giving you more hands-on experience than the more traditional student teaching model. You will work with both groups and individuals, assess student work, and support the classroom environment. Your program will conclude with senior-year Internships I and II, where you will spend two semesters in a high school classroom, applying what you have learned and developing excellent teaching skills in a carefully supervised setting.
A Secondary Education degree from the University of St. Francis will prepare you to teach high school students in a particular academic concentration area. You can expect to do much more than take attendance, develop lessons and grade papers. With both the skills and heart of an excellent teacher, you will have opportunities to utilize communication skills, develop creativity, introduce exciting new ideas, inspire, mentor, instill a sense of value and purpose in your students, initiate positive change, and shape the future of our communities and our world.
The College of Education does not simply teach students the fundamentals required to be a teacher. The program goes above and beyond in its effort to make St. Francis educators the best in the Midwest. The caring and compassionate nature of Saint Francis is instilled in each and every graduate, preparing them to truly make a difference in the lives of others. I’ve learned that it’s not simply knowledge, but heart and soul that separates average and exceptional teachers.
John Niendorf ’15