Early Childhood Education
Make a Difference in the Formative Years
Some people just know they’re meant to work with children — to be the one that helps children learn those first life skills like forming sounds, learning letters, being creative, and building friendships. We’ll help you combine your desire to teach young children with the knowledge and skills it takes to make this a dream career.
College of Saint Mary offers
- an associate’s degree in early childhood education;
- a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a special education minor or
- a major in elementary education with an early childhood supplemental endorsement. A conversation with your advisor will help you pick the appropriate degree and endorsement options to match your career goals.
You will learn inside the classroom and immerse yourself in the field with practical and observational experiences in classrooms throughout the community. A key advantage on the College of Saint Mary campus is the ability to teach and observe at the on-campus Spellman Child Development Center.
With your associate’s degree in early childhood education, you will be qualified to work in child-care centers, preschools and infant centers. With your bachelor’s degree, you can seek certification from the Nebraska Department of Education.
As a teacher, you will be able to apply what you learned to create lesson plans, instruct students and collaborate with parents. Hiring schools select College of Saint Mary graduates because they know they have a depth of experience that is valuable in the classroom. With your bachelor’s degree in hand, you’ll be prepared for certification to teach in pre-kindergarten through third-grade classrooms.
Students Learn and Grow During Field Experience
Learning from current teachers while completing her fieldwork has been very valuable for Micki.
“I liked working with kids and encouraging them to better themselves. I chose teaching,” she said. “What better way to promote students to become future leaders than as a teacher?”
Education majors must complete field experiences as part of their studies. Micki has spent time with preschool and third-grade students in Elkhorn and kindergarten and third-graders at Saint Gerald Catholic School in Ralston. In the classroom, Micki has seen firsthand how much thought and work teachers put into their lesson plans and how they encourage students to learn and help them be successful.
“They always have a little more tips and tricks because they’ve seen students and how each student learns differently,” she said. “I’ve been able to take in all that information and build my resources. I’ve created a little toolkit for when I become a teacher to use and help students learn.”
