Elementary Education

Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions.

Teaching students to become teachers is a job we take seriously at Wesleyan. Our goal is to provide an environment for pre-service teachers to enhance their understanding of the nature of the learner; acquire, reflect upon, and use knowledge; and develop and implement instructional methods that make content meaningful, integrative, active, and challenging. We offer two paths for those interested in working in the field of education:

  1. The Elementary Education Program is offered to students who are planning to teach in elementary school. Students majoring in early childhood education automatically receive a minor in reading as part of the required coursework.
  2. The educational studies minor is designed for the student who is interested in teaching at the early, middle, or secondary levels. The minor does not lead directly to state certification, though it does prepare graduates to enter post-baccalaureate, alternative certification programs.

Majors: Elementary Education (Certification)
Minor: Educational Studies (Non-certification) and Reading
Academic Catalogue

 

 

Did you know depending on where you teach your student loans may qualify for forgiveness under the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program?

 

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

Majors
Top 5 Majors
All Wesleyan Majors

* also a minor

 

Minors
  • Accounting
  • Applied Psychology
  • Art, Studio
  • Asian Studies
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Communication
  • Digital Marketing
  • Economics
  • Educational Studies
  • English
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Environmental Science
  • Equine-Assisted Therapy
  • Finance
  • Forensic Science
  • Healthcare Administration
  • History
  • Human Resource Management
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Neuroscience
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Pre-Law
  • Psychology
  • Reading
  • Religious Studies
  • Spanish
  • Strategic Management
  • Theatre
  • Visual Studies
  • Women, Gender & Sexuality

 

Pre-Professional Concentrations

Find out more about our Pre-Professional programs here.

  • Allied Health
  • Athletic Training
  • Dentistry
  • Law (standalone concentration or accelerated JD dual degree with Mercer)
  • Medicine
  • Pharmacy
  • Seminary
  • Veterinary Medicine
Why Wesleyan?

Why Wesleyan?

No one knows Wesleyan better than our alumnae who have experienced learning, living, and thriving at Wesleyan. Alumnae reflect on their experiences on campus and the impact on their lives through lifelong friendships to skills acquired on campus impacting their careers.

Alumnae quotes
Career Development

Career Development

A liberal arts education prepares you for your first job and your last. Wesleyan has a four-year plan to prepare students to make the connection between a liberal arts education and success in the workplace.

Career services
Majors

Majors

Wesleyan offers 25 majors and 35 minors, including self-designed interdisciplinary studies, eight pre-professional programs and the bachelor of science in nursing and bachelor of fine arts degrees.

Major listings

100%

Over the past 4 years, 100% of Wesleyan's education graduates were employed in an educational field.

3.7

is the average GPA of Wesleyan education majors

90%

of our candidates who submitted the new EdTPA teaching portfolio passed and are now certified to teach.

 

did you know... in the past 8 years, 98% of Wesleyan's elementary education majors

have been hired before graduation or have been accepted into prestigious graduate programs?

 

INTERACTIVE RESEARCH FROM DAY ONE

From the very first class you will be in a real school watching, interacting, and most importantly, learning from real teachers and real students.

Our goal is to inspire students to try new and innovative things. We strive to build relationships; address multiple learning styles; and incorporate creativity, storytelling, nature-smart learning, and play across the subject matter and content required of professional educators.

Within our courses you will find yourself publishing a children’s book, going on a scavenger hunt to demonstrate mathematical teaching methods, hosting a storytelling festival, traveling to outdoor playgrounds, hiking in our on-site arboretum, or dancing on table tops with the students at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta.

Education instructor looks over students paper in classroom.

 

Outside The Classroom

Education classes provide on-site observation, interactive, and eventually planning and teaching components. A 16-week student teaching experience in the senior year fully immerses the student in a single classroom.

Students can also serve as counselors at Kid’s College, a 4-week thematic educational summer camp hosted on campus for children ages 6-12. Since playing is how children enter a subject and make it their own, Kid’s College was created to encourage learning through creativity, imagination, and fun adventures.

 

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM STORIES

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Stephanie
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Courtney profile

Courtney
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Christen
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Erynn
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Wesleyan Women In Early Childhood Education Careers

ALUMNAE Lauren Ackman poses for the camera

LAUREN ECKMAN ’04

A summa cum laude graduate, Lauren teaches grades nine through twelve at the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon. In 2013, she was chosen by the Georgia Department of Education as Georgia Teacher of the Year. Lauren’s students often go on to college or enter the workforce.

 

WESLEYAN EDUCATION MAJORS HAVE STUDIED AT PRESTIGIOUS GRADUATE SCHOOLS INCLUDING:

The Teaching College of London, Auburn University, University of Georgia, Mercer University

Many of our graduates have become instructional coaches or administrators within the school system. You’ll find Wesleyan alumnae in classroom and administrative positions at many Central Georgia schools including ACE Academy for Classical Education, Vineville Academy for the Performing Arts, Georgia Academy for the Blind, Heard Elementary, Springdale Elementary, and Hubbard Elementary.

Wesleyan Professors are Invested in YOUR Future.

"I am thankful for the growth I see in my students when they are truly pushed. Today I got to see one student truly SHINE. Courtney McCoy '19 has embraced her one year paid internship with the Bibb County Board of Education and has grown tremendously in her confidence, strategic planning, management, engagement, rapport...essentially EVERYTHING! I'm so proud of her and left her observation today feeling so positive and proud about what we're doing in the education department today."

- Dr. Virginia B. Wilcox, Associate Professor of Education

CAREER OPTIONS FOR EDUCATION MAJORS

Librarian

Librarians choose materials for public, law, and business libraries, as well as for school media centers. They then instruct people to effectively use these resources, which include print and online media.

Media SpecialIST

The library media specialist has many roles and responsibilities including teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator

PRINCIPAL

Serves as the educational leader, responsible for managing the policies, regulations, and procedures to ensure that all students are supervised in a safe learning environment that meets the approved curricula and mission of the school.

Special Ed Teacher

Works with students with a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities.

Writer or Editor

Writers produce material for print and online media. To be a writer you must be able to express yourself well verbally and convey complex information in a creative way. Editors select the material that will be published.

Manager

A manager must be good at delegating work to others, assessing performance, giving constructive feedback, setting one's personal feeling aside when making decisions, and saying no when necessary.

Guidance Counselor

Assists student with any school-related issues, including selecting classes, dealing with academic difficulties and social problems, and applying to college.

COORDINATOR

An instructional coordinator develops curricula for school systems and helps teachers develop new strategies and techniques. This career is good for someone who wants to impact childrens' education but prefers to not be in the classroom.

School Psychologist

Support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach. Apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.

Montessori Teacher

Montessori addresses the whole child, including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth, helping her become an independent learner by turning her attention outward, fostering community, collaboration, and respect for the dignity of others.

Calendar of Events

Wesleyan College is privileged to steward many arts and cultural events and share them with the community. Most are free and open to the public. Wesleyan art galleries are open M-F 1-5PM and on Wesleyan Market Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.

Event listing

Visit our Campus

Tour our beautiful 200-acre campus featuring Georgian architecture, lush green spaces, recreational facilities, residence halls, and worship center.

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NCAA Division III Athletics

Wesleyan College is home to five NCAA Division III sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. In addition, we offer an award-winning Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Equestrian program.

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