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Middle School Education
Passionate about guiding young learners through their pivotal middle school years? Bradley’s Middle School Education program equips you with the skills and credentials to make a real impact. You’ll graduate with an Illinois Professional Educator’s License in Elementary Education, allowing you to teach grades 5-8, plus an English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement, preparing you to support English Language Learners in diverse classrooms.
The Department of Education is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education. It also is a member of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The middle school education program (English language arts) is recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Experiential Learning
You’ll have early, consistent classroom field experiences, starting your first year and continuing through sophomore and junior placements, all leading up to a comprehensive senior-year student teaching experience.
By the time you graduate, your experiences include:
- Professional development and licensure in middle school 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 Boards, virtual reality, 3-D printing and wearable devices
Program Details
Required Course from the English Department (choose one) – 3 hrs.
- ENG 311: Introduction to Language (3 hrs.)
- ENG 312: English Grammar (3 hrs.)
Education Courses for the Program – 71 hrs.
- ETE 100: Technology Applications (1 hr.)
- ETE 115: The History of Education in the United States (3 hrs.)
- ETE 116: Field Experience – Schools and Schooling in American Society (1 hr.)
- 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 216: Effective Planning and Instruction for Teaching (3 hrs.)
- ETE 227: Development of the Early Adolescent (3 hrs.)
- ETE 228: Strategies for Middle School (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 307: Novice Teaching Experience in Grades 5-8 (3 hrs.)
- ETE 310: Teacher Performance Assessment (1 hr.)
- ETE 315: Methods of Literacy II: Reading, Writing and Language Arts Grades 3-8 (3 hrs.)
- ETE 345: Guiding Learners: Creating Safe, Inclusive Learning Environments (3 hrs.)
- Methods courses that correspond with the concentration (choose one) (3 hrs.)
- ETE 355: Methods of Teaching Middle School Social Studies (3 hrs.)
- ETE 356: Methods of Teaching Middle School Science (3 hrs.)
- ETE 357: Methods of Teaching Middle School Mathematics (3 hrs.)
- ENG 391: Methods of Teaching Writing (3 hrs.)
- ETE 365: Teaching Reading Within the Content Areas (3 hrs.)
- ETE 371: Secondary Assessment and Technology (3 hrs.)
- ETE 491: Student Teaching 5-8 (12 hrs.)
Career Opportunities
Every middle school education student who completes our program achieves a 100% pass rate on Illinois licensure tests, including the national edTPA portfolio evaluation. This success ensures you are well-prepared to begin your teaching career or pursue graduate studies in areas such as curriculum and instruction. Whether you choose to enter the classroom immediately or continue your education, you will graduate with the skills and credentials needed to excel.
Minor
This minor includes opportunities to step into campus leadership positions to practice what you learn. The program gives you flexibility to explore topics in ethics, government, human relations, organizational management and race and power.
The minor is directed by leaders in the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service and the Lewis J. Burger Center for Student Leadership and Public Service.