Why pursue your goal of becoming an elementary, special education or middle school teacher at the University of Delaware? Below are ten reasons to consider UD as your home for the next four years.

1. Our graduates are very marketable with dual certification

K-8 Teacher Education students are eligible for teacher certification in K-8 education and in the area of their concentration. They choose a concentration in one of the following areas: multilingual learner education, middle school math, middle school English, middle school science, middle school social studies and special education. Having a second teaching certificate makes our graduates very marketable and provides them with additional expertise for the classroom. Graduates are eligible to earn teacher certification in other states through interstate reciprocity agreements.

2. High-quality coursework from nationally-recognized faculty

The K-8 Teacher Education program is nationally accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). Students learn the content and pedagogy needed to successfully impact student learning.

The School of Education graduate program is consistently ranked in the top schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Faculty value close relationships with undergraduate students and work with them on research projects to help them grow professionally. They offer study abroad programs every year and senior faculty who are national experts regularly teach in the undergraduate program. The faculty teach, develop, and model best practices that students can take to their future classroom.

3. Gain field experiences beginning in freshman year

Our students actively participate in field experiences in schools beginning in their freshman year. They work with diverse populations in a variety of settings and are part of a school community during the two-semester student teaching experience.

4. Numerous organizations and activities on campus

There are over 400 registered student organizations at UD where students can connect with others who have similar interests. The Association of Pre-Professional Leaders in Education (APPLE) is one of these organizations where K-8 Teacher Education students promote professional development, outreach, and social networking events in order to build a strong community.

5. Study abroad

Students can study abroad on trips led by the School of Education or any other department across campus. Most trips are during the optional 5-week winter session in January.

6. Academic opportunities to prepare for the classroom and graduate school

Students can engage in experiences to enrich their undergraduate program such as working with a faculty member on a research project or pursuing an Honors Degree. These experiences provide students with the opportunity to explore ideas in-depth that they are passionate about in the field of education.

7. Resources for success

The faculty and staff want students to be successful in their program and provide many resources to support their success. Students are assigned to an advisor who helps them select their courses and identifies opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

8. Strong reputation with employers

The Career Services Center helps students with writing resumes, developing their interviewing skills, and finding a job. This center hosts a job fair every year where there are more than 80 schools, districts, and organizations recruiting teacher education students. The teacher education programs at UD have a strong reputation and representatives meet with students in thousands of interviews at the fair.

Principals who work with our graduates speak highly of them. Comments on employer surveys have included:

• “Kaitlin is an extraordinary young woman and capable teacher. I would clone her if I could. Thank you for putting together a remarkable program which has substance.”
• “Jennifer did an outstanding job this year. She was well prepared and went above and beyond to learn our new curriculum. She was a team player and had great lessons and ideas to show. I am always thrilled to receive resumes from your program. Thank you for all your prep work!”

9. UD is nationally recognized for its value

The University of Delaware was voted a “Best Value” in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. The University is also rated highly in the Princeton Review’s The Best 379 Colleges and the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

10. Our students love UD!

Students feel a sense of community in the K-8 Teacher Education major and share how much they enjoy their program on their exit survey. Some of their comments on the strength of the program are below.

• “The program truly provided a well-rounded education for all of us! By having us out in the field early in our program, surrounding us with useful resources, and through frequent exposure to shared experiences in the field, we were able to foster a strong foundation for when we transitioned into taking on classes ourselves. In the field, supportive mentors, supervisors, professors, and peers have gone up and beyond to provide us constructive feedback to strengthen our teaching. Plus, an emphasis on being reflective on one’s own teaching has also helped to shape our own best practices!” – Sarah M., Class of 2013
• “I think the program has areas of strength in exposing us to a wide breadth of core courses so that we can gain a lot of knowledge in all subject areas. I also think the education classes have very compassionate teachers, and you learn so much relevant information in them.” – Dayna J., Class of 2013
• “The program gets us experience teaching in the schools soon, which is great! The program also does a wonderful job of fostering our growth as educators by providing us with access to the latest educational research, theories and best practices.” – Teagan T., Class of 2013