Future teachers assist in the Early Learning Center
Learn more about our model of teachingBecome a Teacher at EMU
At EMU we prepare future teachers who teach boldly in a changing world through an ethic of care and critical reflection. For these students, teaching is a calling, an act of service to the world.
Two key characteristics of our teacher education program are: sending future teachers into classrooms early, and reflective practice, which is woven into all education courses at EMU.
Our teacher education program has carried the highest national accreditation standards in the nation for more than 30 years. EMU is one of only five private colleges in Virginia to be NCATE-certified.
Graduate success
Employers know EMU teacher education graduates come from a high-quality program. In 2012, 96% of program graduates who sought teaching positions were employed to teach within six months of graduation and graduated with an average grade point average (GPA) of 3.38. 100% of program graduates pass the state licensure exams.
Professors attribute this success to the many various field experiences students have throughout the program; by the fifth week of classes, EMU teacher education students are in the field observing and putting their lessons into practice in classrooms. And EMU’s lab school, the Early Learning Center, also allows every early education (PreK-3) major to work “in the field” with community preschoolers.
Program news
EMU alum to head elementary education for Harrisonburg City Schools
December 18th, 2014Elementary grade enrollment is the fastest growing cohort in Harrisonburg City Public Schools, leading the division to create a new position to handle instructional needs. The person filling that post, Waterman Elementary School Principal Jeremy Weaver, will have a big job ahead. In January, Weaver will become the first executive director of elementary education for …More
A ‘Royals’ following: Siblings find EMU the right place to thrive and grow
November 7th, 2014Dig a bit into the student population of this “Christian university like no other” and you’ll find about 100 who are sharing their campus experience with siblings. Basketball players, religious studies majors, Iraqi STEM students, and missionary kids are among the siblings who have chosen to attend Eastern Mennonite University together. Some commute from nearby …More
Undergrad gets hands-on STEM teaching experience through NASA camp, following Kenya stint
September 25th, 2014Abby Pennington, a biology and education major, was exposed to a highly privileged educational experience and a highly deprived one – all in the summer before her senior year. Going from a three week cross-cultural in Kenya to a ten-day educators’ camp funded by NASA, Pennington emerged hungry to bring experiential education to those who …More
More info
So, what kind of teacher will you be? Choose your field of study, learn more about the key elements of our teacher education program, and contact us with any questions!
