Education: Early Childhood–6 Core Subjects & Bilingual

Elementary education is the term commonly used to describe the formal teaching and care of children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home, usually from early childhood through 6th grade. Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages--a native and a secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.

Description of the Field

Students receive a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with Texas teacher certifications in EC-6 Core Subjects and Bilingual Education. As part of the 123 credit hours students are required to take for the Bachelor of Science degree, students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program by fulfilling GPA requirements and passing the THEA test with the required scores for admission to the Teacher Education Program. These scores may differ from score requirements for admission to the university. Students must also complete Clinical I which includes classroom observations and Clinical II which is the student teaching semester. Finally, in order to teach in the state of Texas, students must pass state certification exams which they are eligible to take after completing the Teacher Education Program and consulting with the UNT Dallas Certification Officer to ensure they are adequately prepared before registering. After these requirements are completed, students are eligible for teacher certification through UNT Dallas.

Suggested Degree Plan

EC-6 Bilingual Transfer Guide

Possible Employers

Possible Job Titles

Success Strategies

• Obtain multiple certifications to increase employability.
• Gain experience through volunteer work or internships.
• Private schools may not require certification or licensure.
• Obtain master's degree in subject area for increased employability.
• Acquire teaching experience.
• Obtain master's degree and certificate in school administration.
• Graduate study required for "special service" fields.
• Obtain master's degree in area to become specialist.
• Develop strong word processing, editing and desktop publishing skills.
• Learn federal, state and local job application procedures.
• Take some general business and computer courses.
• Develop writing and public speaking skills.
• Learn to work well with people of various backgrounds.
• Add additional coursework in area of interest such as human services, counseling or psychology.
• Consider certification in special education for greater employability.
• Seek grant writing experience to increase opportunities.
• Gain experience and an advanced, typically Ph.D., degree for high level positions in government.
• Be able to read, write, speak and understand the second language. Students are tested in these areas for bilingual certification.

Online Resources

Texas Education Agency- http://tea.texas.gov/
School Spring- http://www.schoolspring.com/
Teachers-Teachers- http://www.teachers-teachers.com/
K-12 Job Search- http://k-12jobs.com/
Private School Employment Network- http://www.privateschooljobs.com/
US Teach- http://www.usteach.com/
K-12 Job Spot- http://k12jobspot.com/
Department of Defense Office of Overseas Schools- http://www.dodea.edu/

US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools- http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/

Professional Associations

National Association for Bilingual Education- http://www.nabe.org/
Texas Association for Bilingual Education- http://www.tabe.org/
National Education Association- http://www.nea.org/
Association of American Educators- http://www.aaeteachers.org/
Association of Texas Professional Educators- http://www.atpe.org/
National Alliance of Black School Educators- http://www.nabse.org/index.html
Association of Mexican American Educators- http://www.amae.org