Teaching elementary school is more than a choice–it is a calling
The elementary education major is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that focuses on the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to teach children, grades 4K-9, in the state of Wisconsin. Successful candidates in the program earn a bachelor’s degree and Wisconsin teaching license in K-9 Elementary and Middle, which allows them to teach 4-year-old kindergarten through ninth grade. Our graduates are well prepared to engage students in inquiry, facilitate learning, develop curriculum and use student data to inform instruction.
In addition to a major in elementary education, students are encouraged to minor in early childhood special education (birth-3rd grade Early Childhood Special Education license), minor in health education (K-12 Health license), minor in teaching English as a second language (ESL K-12 teaching license), minor or double major in special education (K-12 Cross Categorical Special Education license), double major in early childhood education (birth-3rd grade license) or pursue any one of a number of minors or certificates.
Why study Elementary Education at UW-Stevens Point?
Praised for its program outcomes, graduation and retention rates, advising services, student organization opportunities and vast program options, UW-Stevens Point was ranked second in the U.S. on Study.com’s Best Colleges for Education Majors list. The Elementary Methods Block (EMB) is a significant practicum experience one semester prior to student teaching in which early childhood education majors spend six to eight weeks immersed in area schools.
School of Education
Field Experiences
The responsibility of the Office of Field Experiences is to provide quality field experiences for students enrolled in the teacher education program at UW-Stevens Point. These experiences, such as student teaching, involve our students and instructors in practical activities with cooperating teachers and administrators in actual schools and educational agencies.
Elementary Education
Hired Before Graduation
Megan Bruneau-Ries
Megan Bruneau-Ries was hired before graduation at McDill Elementary School in Stevens Point as a 2nd grade teacher.
School of Education
Community and Centers
Through many School of Education centers and programs, our students may observe the development process in young children and then apply principles discussed in teaching method classes to real life situations.
School of Education
Alumni Map
Where are they now?
UW-Stevens Point School of Education alumni live and work all over the world—so if you’re looking for networking opportunities close to a new home or contact info for fellow Pointer in another city, you’re in luck. Looking for a fellow UWSP teacher near you? Start with our map.
School of Education
In the News and Social Media
Catch up on the latest news from the School of Ed programs and get an insight from our students in their blogs.
What to Expect?
Student teaching is the culminating experience in the teacher candidate’s academic program of study at UW-Stevens Point. It provides an opportunity for teacher candidates to practice and refine their knowledge and skills under the supervision and guidance of cooperating teachers and our own faculty who have dedicated their careers to education and a lifetime of student learning. We allow our students to student teach anywhere within Wisconsin, as well opportunities in the Lower Kuskokwim School District in Alaska, pending availability of appropriate assignments.
UW-Stevens Point graduates in the School of Education typically have some of the highest placement rates of full-time teaching jobs within their first year after graduation across the UW System. For example, nearly 100 percent of our recent early childhood education graduates have been hired within one year of graduation.
Our alumni are high-quality educators who experience high career success. They are responsive to the needs of their students and positively impact our diverse world. See where our graduates are working on our alumni map.
Get Involved on Campus
Through volunteer opportunities and varied professional development opportunities, you’ll be an active learner closely involved in real-world situations designed to ensure your professional success.
Our students are academically engaged, highly motivated, and actively involved at the local, state, national and international levels. Student organizations are vital to your pre-professional experiences. As such, the School of Education sponsors the following organizations: Aspiring Educators, Early Childhood Educators, Kappa Delta Pi, and Student Council for Exceptional Children.
You may be lucky enough to work with one of the Neale Fellows, select teachers whose projects make a difference at their schools, and who work jointly with faculty teaching your classes.
Elementary Education
Navigate Your Major
Major Maps help students map their first day to the first job in their chosen field. While a four-year plan outlines classes to get a degree, Major Maps help students learn how to build career-ready skills and experiences outside the classroom. Each Major Map shows how students can get the most of their UW-Stevens Point journey from enrollment to graduation and beyond. It’s a roadmap to discovering your purpose!
Meet Your Faculty and Staff
Our School of Education faculty and staff are caring, involved and committed to student success. They are dynamically responsive to the changes happening in education and offer outstanding support to our students’ professional preparation.
View all our faculty/staff
Amber Garbe
- Associate Professor – School of Education
- Director – Ed.D. in Language and Literacy
- [ More… ]
Jacquelyn Sernau
- Assistant Professor – School of Education
- Academic Program Director – Elementary Education
- [ More… ]
Katie Anderson-Pence
- Assistant Dean – College of Professional Studies
- Head – School of Education
Perry Cook
- Professor – Science Education
- Director – Harju Center for Opportunities in Education
- [ More… ]
DPI Accreditation
UW-Stevens Point’s teacher education programs are accredited by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
School of Education
Programs
School of Education
110 College of Professional Studies
1901 Fourth Ave.
Stevens Point, WI 54481-3897
Contact us for campus visits and inquiries:
715-346-2040
education@uwsp.edu
College of Professional Studies
