Education: Kindergarten to Ninth Grade

Build a strong foundation

Do you believe in the power of education? As a teacher of elementary and middle school students, you can be the one to help future generations unlock a world of possibilities and transform their futures.

Alverno elementary and middle education students study the art and science of teaching, and they apply what they’re learning through field placements and student teaching. Our graduates are eligible for a Wisconsin teaching license that allows them to teach kindergarten through ninth grade, making them very marketable to districts looking for flexibility.

The Alverno difference

At Alverno, our faculty are current or former K-12 teachers with extensive classroom experience. We know that students have different styles of learning; as a result, you’ll explore how you learn best and learn how to lead and engage a classroom of students with different learning styles. Our assessment-as-feedback model will challenge you to achieve your full potential, and you’ll learn how to bring this effective approach to your own classroom.

Hands-on experience is an essential component of an Alverno education. In your first year in our program, you’ll participate in intensive field work placements in K-12 classrooms. This ensures that when the time comes to begin student teaching, you’re ready to step up to the front of the classroom with confidence.

Alverno education graduates are in high demand at schools across the region, because school leaders recognize that our graduates are ready to make a difference on day one.

As an Alverno elementary/middle education student, you will achieve these outcomes:

• Coordination: You will discover how to make the best use of materials, time, technology, the classroom setting, and timing to create learning experiences.
• Conceptualization: You will learn to integrate content knowledge with best teaching practices in order to plan and implement lessons in the field.
• Interaction: You will be able to make professional decisions and adapt to the changing needs in the field classroom and school environment.
• Diagnosis: You will learn how to determine learning needs of K-12 students and how to design learning experiences to meet those needs.
• Communication: You will practice explaining concepts to children of all ages, and you will learn how to communicate effectively with colleagues, administrators and families.

“ Alverno gives education majors a lot of hands-on experience through field placements and student teaching. We also learn about best practices and explore the different pedagogies. I was awarded a research scholarship after my first semester, and after graduation, I was accepted into a competitive educational psychology research program at the University of Wisconsin.”

—Valencia, elementary/middle education major, class of 2021

Alverno elementary/middle education graduates are ready to become:

• Classroom teachers
• Reading and math interventionists
• Tutors
• Peer mentors
• Department chairs
• And more!