Early Childhood Education

Many of our graduates seek a teaching position with young children within the public school systems of Oklahoma and Texas. With more preschools being established, you may choose to enter the field of education in this exciting area. Or you may seek the areas of Administrator in a Head Start program or Parents as Teacher’s Facilitator. Some graduates choose to be a Faith Community Coordinator and Educator, while others are interested in the area of childcare as a Child Care Center Director/Owner/Coordinator.

The School of Education is a dynamic, engaging, and rigorous program for students seeking teaching licensure. The School of Education prepares teacher candidates in the areas of elementary education (1-8 grade), special education (K-12 grade), early childhood education (Pre-K-3 grade), English education (6-12 grade), math education (6-12 grade), science education (6-12 grade), and social science education (6 – 12 grade). Programs in instrumental music (K-12 grade) and vocal music (K-12 grade) are also degrees associated with the School of Education.  

The School of Education is nationally accredited through CAEP, the Council for Accreditation of Education Preparation. In addition, each licensure area is accredited through the state of Oklahoma. Graduates from our program are eligible to teach locally, nationally, and internationally. Faculty in the education program have a combined experience of over 100 years in public school education.  

The courses within the education program focus on learning the content, knowledge, and dispositions of an effective educator through hands-on and engaging instruction, alongside practical field experiences in the public school classroom. OBU’s teacher education program partners with districts all over the state, nation and world to offer experiences with diverse K-12 students.  

One of the many noted strengths of the OBU Education program is the amount of field experience/practicum time that is provided across the four years of the degree program. You will be asked to complete between 85 – 120 hours of observation and practicum experiences in local schools prior to student teaching. Many students even have the opportunity to complete a practicum in a virtual, online setting. Through field experiences you will tutor children, teach small groups and whole classes, and practice differentiation and classroom management. Unique to OBU and a student favorite is the creation of an Interactive Children’s Museum over a topic of history and a fun-filled science discovery STEM day with hands-on learning for children.  

Through coursework, you will be exposed to the latest research-based practices in education. Additionally, all education majors have the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive investigation of a research topic of their own interest. You will present about your topic to your peers, and may even have the opportunity to present your research to practicing teachers at educational conferences.

OBU teacher education faculty will support you in understanding and utilizing the latest educational technology such as Smartboards, iPads, learning management systems and assistive technology. You will also be introduced to the OBU Planetarium as a tool for engaging learners.

Field experiences culminate in a 14-week internship of student teaching during your senior year. Efforts are made to pair you with your school of preference within 50 miles of OBU. You also can choose to student teach abroad.

You will be invited to participate in professional teacher education organizations, such as the Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) and Student Professional Oklahoma Educators (SPOE), which enables you to network with other preservice and in-service educators across the state and nation. You also will be invited to travel to state and national conferences which offer professional development related to innovative, researched-based practices within the field of education. 

Teachers are called by Christ and work on mission for Him. Through the coursework and field experience in the teacher education program at OBU, students learn first-hand how to share the love of Christ in the classroom. All children are created in the image of God, each with his own unique gifts and talents. Psalms 139:13-14 reminds us that each child is fearfully and wonderfully made, created by hands of God. The teacher education program focuses on celebrating the uniqueness and diversity within schools and classrooms. You will learn to focus on each child’s strengths to offer an engaging, rigorous curriculum while striving to meet all academic, social, cultural, and behavior needs to the best of your ability.