Year 1
You’ll start with core liberal arts classes including Bible, writing, math and social sciences, plus a foundational education course that includes some hands-on experience. By the end of this year, you can apply to join the teacher education program if you’ve met the requirements.

Year 2
You’ll keep working on core classes and begin courses focused on your teaching subject area. You’ll also take education classes covering lesson planning, assessment, how students learn and how to teach students from different backgrounds. Plus, you’ll do more early field experiences in classrooms.

Year 3
This year is all about deepening your content knowledge and starting methods courses that teach you how to actually teach your subject to different grade levels. These classes include multiple field experiences where you’ll get to practice teaching.

Year 4
In your final year, you’ll finish any remaining core and licensure courses, including methods and field experiences. Your last semester will be full-time student teaching, where you’ll gain hands-on experience leading a classroom.

The Department of Teacher Education offers a wide range of hands-on field experiences that show you research-based, effective teaching practices. 

• These experiences gradually introduce you to what it’s like to be a teacher and match the courses you’re taking.
• You’ll start with basic field experiences in your first two years, move on to teaching lessons during your methods courses, and finish with a full semester of student teaching.

Guided by the vision to prepare compassionate educators for transformative service, the Department of Teacher Education helps you connect with the individuals and communities you’ll serve through student-focused and culturally aware teaching practices. Learning to be a culturally competent teacher is a key part of the program and is woven throughout your courses.

You’ll also take three important classes to prepare you to work with students from different backgrounds than your own: 

• Human Relations in a Cross-Culturally Diverse World
• Educating Diverse Learners
• Educating Multilingual Learners

Northwestern will assign you both a university supervisor and a cooperating classroom teacher in your licensure area for every level of field experience. This means the mentoring and feedback you receive are focused on your growth within your specific program. You’ll have regular observations and meetings during your methods courses and student teaching to provide you with ongoing support.

Northwestern has a strong reputation with local schools, and cooperating teachers are carefully chosen based on recommendations from university supervisors, principals and experienced teachers who know the program well.

The Department of Teacher Education works hard to continuously improve every licensure program. Here are some examples:

• Program coordinators review feedback from recent graduates and their principals during their first year of teaching to find ways to better prepare you for the classroom.
• They also gather input from cooperating teachers at every field experience level to make ongoing improvements.
• Northwestern partners with many local school districts and its designated partner, PACT Charter School, to review data and put suggestions into action, ensuring the programs keep getting better.