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As an elementary/special education major at Grace, you will have the opportunity to make meaningful relationships with students and be equipped to provide quality instruction, engaging lesson plans, and differentiation to meet the specific needs of your students. 

������’s School of Education is founded on the ideology of “teacher as a moral practitioner.” We are deeply committed to instilling the principles of character, competence, and service in our future teachers. This comes from Micah 6:8 which states, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Ultimately, we look to Jesus, the greatest teacher, as our guide.

If you have a desire to serve students with disabilities either as an elementary teacher or special education teacher, then consider Grace’s dual licensure program in special education and elementary education. This is known as a “TAL Major,” or “Teaching All Learners.”

The first half of the elementary special education degree focuses heavily on pedagogy and core educational principles. These classes dive deep into the importance of relationships, student engagement, and classroom environment. The special elementary education pathway includes a three-course literacy sequence designed to teach students how to teach a child to read and write. 

Special elementary education students will also complete a methods block to acquire the practices and skills necessary for student teaching. Special education courses dig into focused interventions, strategies, and practices used in teaching students with specific disabilities and practical application of including students with disabilities in inclusive settings. 

Education courses also provide a lot of real-world experience. In your very first teaching class, you will get the opportunity to observe and assist in an elementary classroom for 20 hours. From there, you will continue to accumulate experience in the local schools by completing observations in both the general education and special education setting and teaching one-on-one, small group, and whole class lessons. Before student teaching, you will have completed more than 200 hours of classroom experience!

Don’t miss out on Grace’s chapter of the , which is focused on professional development, disability awareness on campus, and showing love to people with disabilities in the community.

After you earn your bachelor’s degree in elementary special education, you can pursue a teaching license for preschool through 12th grade in special education and kindergarten through sixth grade in elementary education. Ultimately, our desire is for you to love your students well and truly make an impact on lives in whichever school setting God leads you to.