Become a Teacher at EMU

Get in the classroom your first semester! Alexa Weeks '18 got valuable student teaching experience in the Harrisonburg school system. She now teaches 3rd grade at a local elementary school.

Colton Frey '18 was a volleyball player and education major. He now teaches 2nd grade at Stone Spring Elementary in Harrisonburg.

Janae Kauffman's student teaching in Rockingham County Schools helped propel her to a position teaching 7th grade math at a local school.

Prepare for your future as a teacher with EMU's education program.

Change the world, become a teacher!

NCATE Logo At EMU you can prepare to be the very best educator. You will be in a K-12 classroom in the first five weeks of class, getting hands-on experiences and learning to teach right from the start of your program. You will learn to become a reflective educator, asking yourself "How can I engage my students more effectively? How can I make this lesson better?" At the end of your program you will be a highly sought-after educator, ready to begin your teaching career!

Invitation for Third Party Comments
The Teacher Education program at Eastern Mennonite University is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on November 15-17, 2020. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the site team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party's relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).

We invite you to submit written testimony to:
CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org

Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:

In CAEP's performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs (Education Preparation Provider) must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent's relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review. No anonymous testimony will be considered.

Correspondence, which must be received by CAEP no later than six (6) weeks prior to the site visit, will be submitted to Eastern Mennonite University for response via CAEP’s Accreditation Information Management System (AIMS).

What's unique about EMU's program?
- EMU's teacher education program has been NCATE-accredited (the highest accreditation standard in the nation) for more than 45 years.
- You get hands-on experiences early and often.
- You will learn reflective practice techniques to continually be the best teachers in your field, year after year.
- You will be mentored by PhD-level faculty who model being excellent educators by caring for students and calling out each student's gifts.
Practical Experiences
At most universities teacher education students don’t get into a K-12 classroom until their third year. At EMU it's different.
- At EMU, you are in local classrooms, observing and learning, by the fifth week of classes.
- Field experiences are embedded throughout program so that you are in the field nearly every semester.
- Local school divisions are richly diverse in culture, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
- Elementary and Early/Primary education majors assist in EMU’s lab school, the Early Learning Center. The Early Learning Center provides valuable interactions with 2-4-year-olds.
- You are in schools full-time during student teaching, and receive regular feedback and assistance from the classroom teacher and EMU faculty.
- Student teaching takes place in more than one setting and location.
- Student teachers participate in a seminar class to receive additional support during the student teaching semester and learn about preparing for job searches and interviews, among other topics.
Employability and Career Opportunities
- Completing our program makes you eligible for a Virginia teaching license, and we'll process the paperwork for you.
- The Virginia Department of Education reported in 2017 a shortage of more than 6,000 teachers.
- Harrisonburg and Rockingham County school supervisors seek EMU teacher-education graduates.
- The average starting salary for teachers in Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County Schools is $43,000.
- EMU teacher education graduates often move on to graduate school to further specialize and often give leadership in administrative leadership roles.
- 100% of 2018-19 program graduates who sought positions in education were employed in PreK-12 education settings the following year and graduated with an average grade point average (GPA) of 3.48.
- We will work with you to understand how to obtain a teaching license in another state if you want to teach outside of Virginia after completing our program.
Affordability
- Declare an education major and you may be eligible for a $3000 renewable scholarship.
- EMU has offered close to $1 million in academic merit scholarships collectively to students with outstanding academic achievement.
- Academic scholarships range from $12,000 to $20,000 per year and are renewable for four years depending on academic performance.
- EMU students are eligible for Pell Grants and Federal Need-Based Grants as well as student loans.
- Virginia students may be eligible for a Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG).
- Learn more by contacting EMU's Financial Assistance Office.