School of Education Collection

Elon University has been preparing students to become teachers since it opened its doors to students in 1890. According to the Charter of Elon, "The objects of the corporation are to provide equipment and facilities necessary to the well-being and success of a college offering Christian training and instruction in the liberal arts, sciences and/or any specific field of higher education and learning that may appear expedient or useful..." Taken directly from the book titled Elon College: Its History and Traditions by Durward T. Stokes, "From the opening of the college, its presidents had been keenly interested in preparing teachers for the public schools. Efforts to provide such training were gradually expanded until a four-year Teachers' Course became part of the curriculum. Students completing the first and second years of this course were granted a teacher's certificate, upon application. Those finishing three years won the degree of Licentiate of Instruction (L.I.). Students who completed the entire four years of the program received the degree of Bachelor of Pedagogy. In the catalog for 1914-15, this degree was discarded and the graduate received either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Philosophy degree, depending upon the elective course studied. The administration had been rewarded in 1913 for its emphasis on this offering when the state of Virginia announced its acceptance of an Elon College diploma 'as a basis for the certification of teachers in that commonwealth.' In addition, as soon as it became possible, the institution began holding Teachers' Institutes. Lasting from one or two weeks, these sufficed to fill the minimum requirements for the state at the time for those who could not attend college four years and also offered refresher study for certified teachers. The program had been emphasized consistently, and by the time Harper took office, the offering had been expanded to a 'Special Normal Term' of two months in residence 'for teachers or those preparing to teach.' The course won approval of numerous county superintendents of education, and, more significantly, of J.Y. Joyner, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction. He wrote: '...believing that teachers will derive great benefit from the successful completion of this course under the instruction of the faculty of the College, carried on in the favorable environment of College life, I shall gladly recommend to county superintendents the acceptance of properly signed certificate of continuous attendance and of the successful completion of this work by public school teachers as a substitute for attendance on the biennial teachers' institutes required by law, as provided in section 4168 of the public school law.' The official endorsement encouraged the administration to emphasize the program.

The teacher education program has existed at Elon in some capacity since 1890, and continues to be a success story today. According to the 2012 Elon University Teacher Education Program website, "Elon's education program prepares teachers for careers in the elementary, middle and high school grades. The program emphasizes practical hands-on experience in classrooms as well as educational theory and pedagogy. Yearly field experiences in public school classrooms begin the first year and culminate with a full semester of teaching in the teacher candidate's licensure area. Our goal is for Elon teacher candidates to be committed to collaborating with colleagues, students’ families, and external agencies to create optimal learning experiences for all students. We encourage them to seek opportunities for continued personal and professional development while adhering to professional and ethical standards. We support them in developing the expertise to design and implement cognitively challenging learning experience for all students, creating positive classroom environments that accept and embrace diversity. It is also our intent that our graduates will enthusiastically support the profession of teaching. Elon is widely recognized for the success of its teacher education program, which is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and is one of five private schools in the state selected to offer the prestigious N.C. Teaching Fellows Program. Elon offers programs leading to North Carolina licensure in early childhood education, elementary education, middle grades education, and special education (general curriculum), in special subject areas for grades K-12 (physical education, music, and Spanish), and in high school subject areas of English, history, math and science."