The Department of Teaching, Learning, & Foundations is committed to fostering the development of professional educators within diverse settings while building upon the natural leadership abilities of our students.
We strive to model innovative techniques and reflective practices in order to provide our students with unique opportunities to translate theory and research into effective and practical instructional applications.
Through modeling, mentoring and providing services, we support and pursue local and global partnerships and participate in collaborative scholarly endeavors.
The Department of Teaching, Learning, & Foundations has been ranked one of the top teacher candidate preparation programs in the state. We strive to advance the scholarly preparation of pre-service and practicing teachers by providing quality instruction that exemplifies the best teaching practices for children from birth through age fourteen. Teacher candidates are able to expand their knowledge through course work, action research, and substantial field experiences. All programs consist of three semesters of integrated coursework and field experience (CORE) prior to student teaching. Each CORE includes: Content knowledge, Outreach, Reflection, and Evaluation.
Graduates who complete EIU's Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Middle Level Education programs are highly knowledgeable, reflective teachers that use research-based strategies to enable all students to be successful.
All programs are transfer friendly. Transfer students may be eligible to progress directly into professional coursework. For more information continue to the following links:
The B.S. in Early Childhood Education leads to teacher licensure with an Early Childhood (birth through grade 2) endorsement. Graduates are employed as teachers in pre-primary and primary classrooms as well as private preschool centers. (program checklist)
The B.S. in Elementary Education leads to teacher licensure with an Elementary (grades 1-6) endorsement. Graduates are prepared to teach reading, writing, science, mathematics, social studies, critical thinking skills, and problem solving strategies to elementary school students in self-contained classrooms. (program checklist)
The B.S. in Middle Level Education leads to teacher licensure with endorsements in middle grades (grades 5-8) literacy/language arts and a subject area of their choice (middle grades mathematics, middle grades social science, or middle grades general science). Graduates are prepared to teach adolescents transitioning from childhood to adulthood. (program checklist)
The B.S. in Secondary Education leads to teacher licensure with a Secondary (grades 6-12 or K-12) endorsement. Secondary Education majors can select certification for grades 6-12 within the following programs: Career and Technical Education, English/Language Arts, Health Studies (endorsement only), Mathematics & Computer Science, Sciences, Social Science, and Theater Arts. K-12 certification is available for programs in Art, Foreign Languages, Music, and Physical Education. (program checklist)
Programs are designed to offer education students the flexibility of completing an early childhood education or elementary education degree at off-campus sites. (continue)
Post-baccalaureate students seeking a teaching license through any of EIU’s state approved licensure programs must meet the full intent of the respective programs. All previous course work, either graduate or undergraduate, will be evaluated in terms of current requirements. This will include general education, a major, and the professional education requirements. To initiate the evaluation process, contact the Dean's Office in the College of Education (217-581-2524).
The Department of Teaching, Learning, & Foundations is proud to offer unique programs to complete teacher licensure coursework in multicultural national and international settings.
The Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching (COST) is a collaboration of 15 colleges and universities in the United States that provides opportunities for quality student teaching experiences with supervision in overseas settings. Eastern Illinois University is the only member from Illinois.
Buzzard Hall
1920 9th Street
Charleston, IL 61920
217-581-5728