Your Future Career in
Childhood Education

Everyone remembers those times in their lives: the times when they needed someone to believe in them, recognize their potential, and show them what they could do with it. For you, maybe it was a teacher; maybe it was a principal; or maybe it was a guidance counselor. Maybe that person inspired you to want to do the same for others. 

With a bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (CE) from Monroe, you can. 

Earning your degree is the first step in receiving the New York State Education Department’s certification in childhood education for grades 1–6. It also opens the door to a whole new world of career opportunities. Here are just a few: 

• Elementary School Teacher
  
  Whether you’re talking about public schools, charter schools, or private schools, one thing never changes: all of them need great elementary teachers. In classes large and small, you’ll help students learn and apply the essential skills they’ll need for the rest of their lives. As you grade assignments, conduct parent-teacher conferences, and prepare your classes for standardized tests, you’ll get to know each of your students’ unique educational needs. You’ll then use that knowledge (and the skills you learn at Monroe) to help them thrive as individuals. 
• Teacher assistant
  
  Teacher assistants (also known as teacher aides) support teachers in multiple ways, often by helping to prepare materials for lessons, calculate grades, and maintain attendance records. Teacher assistants also support their students in some invaluable ways. Some students need a little more attention than others; but all students benefit from the individualized attention that teacher assistants are there to provide. 
• School counselor
  
  Every student has different needs; and many students face behavioral or social challenges that can affect their performance in school. Elementary school counselors help students and their families to identify each student’s strengths and weaknesses, then help them to develop strategies to address any developmental or academic issues. That often involves working closely with teachers to ensure that their curricula accommodate any special needs. 

You can make a difference. 

There’s always a demand for skilled educators. If you have the desire, you already have what it takes. All you need now are the skills you’ll build with a degree in Childhood Education. You’ll have the solid, unshakeable foundation you need to continue growing throughout your career — and to help your students grow into their best selves.

Being an elementary school teacher is about much more than teaching the “three R’s” of reading, writing, and arithmetic. It’s about understanding the unique challenges facing learners from all backgrounds. 

With a degree in Childhood Education from Monroe, you’ll become proficient in recognizing — and addressing — the benchmarks for development in both typical and delayed elementary students. You’ll learn how you can be an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion for your students, so that you can create a truly inclusive teaching environment. And you’ll learn how to collaborate with other education professionals , so that you can work as a team to maximize each student’s educational outcomes. 

From your very first semester, you’ll begin your fieldwork placement, observing real teachers working with real students — and over the course of 180 cumulative hours, you’ll understand how they implement the strategies and techniques you’ve learned in the classroom. Then you’ll get to do it yourself, with two full semesters (200 hours) of student teaching in one of four unique placements before you graduate. By the time you graduate, you won’t just know what to do; you’ll have the confidence of knowing you can do it