Bachelor of Education

Elementary Education

Overview

The UH West O‘ahu Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree with a concentration in Elementary Education, K-6, prepares knowledgeable, skillful, responsive educators for a global society. Studies encompass an innovative, field-based teacher preparation program, as well as public service activities that support West O‘ahu communities in particular.

Throughout their program of study, teacher candidates participate in over 630 hours of field-based coursework, ranging from the early field experience, to service learning, to three practicums taken concurrently with methods courses. The program culminates in a 15-week, full-time professional student teaching semester with seminar. Field placements occur in elementary schools island-wide and especially in Central and Leeward O‘ahu and on the Wai‘anae Coast. Faculty deliver courses on-campus and online, while maintaining flexible scheduling to accommodate teacher candidates’ busy lives.

Upon successful completion of the program, the Education Division recommends B.Ed graduates for an Elementary (K-6) teaching license by the Hawai‘i Teacher Standards Board. UH West Oʻahu Elementary Education courses have not been determined to meet specific requirements for licensure or licensure preparation in states other than Hawaiʻi. If you intend to work in another state, we recommend contacting the state to find out what their certification requirements are and if you can work there. Online courses and programs at UH West Oʻahu do not lead to teacher certification. However, all of our courses and programs are fully accredited and course credits may transfer to university programs that may lead to state professional licensure. Additional licensure information can be found on the NC-SARA webpage.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Bachelor of Education degree with a concentration in Elementary Education will be able to:

  • Use their understanding of how children grow, develop and learn to plan and implement developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences within environments that take into account the individual strengths and needs of children.
  • Demonstrate and apply understandings of the elements of literacy critical for purposeful oral, print, and digital communication.
  • Demonstrate and apply understandings and integration of the three dimensions of science and engineering practices, cross-cutting concepts, and major disciplinary core ideas, within the major content areas of science.
  • Demonstrate and apply understandings of major mathematics concepts, algorithms, procedures, applications and mathematical practices in varied contexts, and connections within and among mathematical domains.
  • Demonstrate understandings, capabilities, and practices associated with the central concepts and tools in Civics, Economics, Geography, and History, within a framework of informed inquiry.
  • Know how particular curricular content topics and expectations are connected to each other across the core disciplines (literacy, math, science, social studies), including the knowledge base and practices of other content areas of fine and performing arts.
  • Connect their content-related understandings to curricular opportunities both within particular areas of content (e.g., science) and across other curricular expectations within health education.
  • Connect their content-related understandings to curricular opportunities both within particular areas of content (e.g., science) and across other curricular expectations within physical education.
  • Administer formative and summative assessments regularly to determine students’ competencies and learning needs; use assessment results to improve instruction and monitor learning.
  • Differentiate instructional plans to meet the needs of diverse students in the classroom.
  • Plan instruction including goals, materials, learning activities and assessments.
  • Construct and maintain a productive learning environment by adapting classroom procedures to each learner’s cognitive and motivational needs.
  • Manage the classroom by establishing and maintaining social norms and behavioral expectations.
  • Make informed decisions about instruction guided by knowledge of children and assessment of children’s learning that result in the use of a variety of effective instructional practices that employ print and digital appropriate resources.
  • Design and implement professional learning activities based on ongoing analysis of student learning; self-ref lection; professional standards, research and contemporary practices; and standards of ethical professional practice; and participate in peer and professional learning communities to enhance student learning.
  • Work collaboratively with colleagues, mentors, and other school personnel to work toward common goals that directly influence every learner’s development.

Field Based Coursework

Student teaching is a full-time, 15 week, supervised classroom experience, taken concurrently with a Writing Intensive (WI), ethics-focused seminar. A gradual release of responsibility by the mentor teacher leads to a minimum of 15 days of solo teaching. Candidates complete their student teaching in an elementary, middle, or high school that is in partnership with the UH West O‘ahu Division of Education. At the discretion of the UH West O’ahu Field Placement Coordinator, and with approval of the principal and mentor teacher, Hawai‘i Department of Education part-time teachers and teaching assistants may be able to complete their student teaching in the school where they have been employed.

With guidance from their classroom mentor teacher and university supervisor, candidates complete their required 630 hours of field-based coursework in partner elementary schools, including but not limited to the following:

  • August Ahrens Elementary School
  • Daniel K. Inouye Elementary School
  • Ka’elepulu Elementary School
  • Makakilo Elementary School
  • Nānāikapono Elementary School
  • Pearl City Elementary School

Careers and Earning Potential

Teaching is a rewarding career that provides benefits and job security in an era of teacher shortages across the United States. Teachers often continue their professional development via graduate programs in education, including master’s and doctoral degree programs in curriculum and instruction or specialized fields in literacy, special education, and English language learners. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016 data), the median salary for K-6 elementary school teachers is $59,070 per year. The Hawai‘i State Department of Education reports the starting salary for teachers who graduate from a State Approved Teacher Education Program as $50,123 for the 2020-21 school year.

Graduates find teaching positions in public and private schools; coordinate education programs for public and private sectors, such as museums, libraries, YMCA, and community centers; and serve as consultants to industries. Once licensed in Hawai‘i, Elementary Education classroom teachers may seek reciprocal certification in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

For more information on careers and earning potential, visit the Hawaiʻi Career Explorer website.

Student Clubs

The UH West O‘ahu Education Club is a wonderful opportunity for teacher candidates to gain an
even greater understanding of the education field and participate in community service projects,
workshops, social activities, and more. The club supports literacy causes and raises monetary
and book donations that benefit lending libraries and local area elementary, middle, and high
schools.