K-8 Teaching Options

The breadth of study offered by the B.A. in Liberal Studies makes it the preferred degree program in the College for any student wishing to teach at the elementary level. Recent graduates are teaching in Seattle, the West coast, and Europe. They have been accepted to a range of graduate teaching programs, from the prestigious Teacher’s College at Columbia University in New York to the highly regarded Masters in Teaching (MIT) program at Seattle University.

See the typical schedule for Liberal Studies majors thinking about K-8 teaching options.

Why Liberal Studies?

The B.A. in Liberal Studies is designed so future teachers can complete most or all of the preliminary requirements (endorsements) for State certification programs, such as the SU Masters in Teaching. In addition to this flexibility, the degree seeks to provide future teachers with these skills or traits:

APPRECIATION FOR DIVERSITY Many area schools are racially and culturally diverse. Majors develop ways for talking civilly about difficult issues, traditions and cultures in LBST 300 and 302, and teaching courses (321, 322).

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION The number one skill valued in any organization is the ability to communicate well across boundaries or competing interest groups. All LBST courses have a class leadership/oral presentation component.

ADAPTABILITY K-8 educators need to be flexible, able to create common ground in reconciling competing interests, which majors practice in LBST 301 and 490.

METACOGNITION New assessment standards require K-8 teachers to be able to think more reflectively about their lessons and presence in the classroom. Metacognition is a key learning outcome in the major, optimized through the e-folio.

STRATEGIC THINKING Being able to sort through the clutter to find the best route, seeing patterns where others simply see complexity, is key to great teaching at any level, and is developed in LBST 301 and 490.

HOLISTIC THINKING Seeing a problem as part of a complete system, thinking comprehensively, is especially valuable in working with children and families in school systems, and is practiced in LBST 301, 302, 490, and teaching courses 321 and 322.

Changes in teacher assessment dovetail with Liberal Studies coursework. According to the Director of SU’s MIT program, upcoming statewide and national teacher assessment will stress communication skills, collaboration and reflection. The list above shows how the Liberal Studies curriculum has anticipated these changes.

Liberal Studies Pre-Education Preparation

The Liberal Studies program allows students to attain a broad intellectual experience and satisfy many specific course selections needed to prepare for application to a Master in Teaching (MIT) program in K-8 education. But students should keep in mind that such programs are highly competitive. To be a viable candidate you should have experience working with children in the classroom, you must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better, and you must write superbly. There are other expectations as well.

Get Experience. The single most important preparation you can make beyond your Liberal Studies degree is to get experience in the classroom. Such majors get priority standing. You can volunteer at a local school through SU’s Children’s Literacy Project or SU's Center for Service and Community Engagement. Keep in mind that public schools begin several weeks before we start classes. Use that time to volunteer full-time at one of the local elementary schools near your home. Or you can volunteer for after-school tutoring options at these schools. The key? Get as much experience with children as you can.

Contact a College of Education Now. If your target is the SU MIT program, make an appointment with the pre-education MIT advisor, John Green (206-296-5796 or greenjo@seattleu.edu). Students who make last-minute decisions to apply tend not to be accepted into certification programs, since they are not prepared. The College of Education has offered this advisor to all Liberal Studies majors who want to become teachers. John Green supplements the advice you get from your Liberal Studies Director and our Pre-Education Advisor (Tonja Brown brownt2@seattleu.edu) to help you walk through the shifting minefields of Washington State’s educational requirements.

GPA of 3.0 or better. Most graduate programs (such as SU MIT) will not consider students whose cumulative GPA is under 3.0. If your GPA has dropped below 3.0, you will need to work especially hard to improve it to that minimum level before you apply for admission.

Write Superbly. Use your Seattle University courses to hone your writing skills. Since effective writing is such an important part of the teaching profession, most Schools or Colleges of Education use submitted writing samples to screen out people who can’t write well. Make certain that your application materials to a College of Education are grammatically clean.

Choose References Carefully. Graduate education programs are especially looking for letters of reference from at least two people who have seen you work with children. References from professors are much less important.

For More Information, students planning to become teachers must consult the College of Arts and Sciences pre-education advising website.