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Education Major

At Bryn Athyn, we'll give you the theoretical and practical preparation to be a successful teacher in a public, private, or New Church school in early childhood education.

Program Strengths

During the course of the education program students observe classrooms in a number of school settings, both private and public. The education program works closely with the Bryn Athyn Church School, a New Church school located just down the street. All education majors fulfill state certification requirements, and gain additional tools for teaching in a New Church classroom.

We offer specialized education courses in many areas, including:

• Integrating art into the curriculum
• Music education
• Health and physical education
• Educating diverse learners
• New Church perspectives
• Classroom management
• Teaching in multi-age classrooms

Hands-On Learning

Bryn Athyn College’s education major emphasizes practical application of the skills and practices acquired in courses.

During the third year students will spend two days a week in an Early Childhood Education classroom giving them 360 hours of experience with students and teachers. Students should expect to have placements in public schools as well as private institutions in order to have the broadest possible experience prior to senior teaching.

In the fourth year there is a 72-hour field experience in grade 5-8 combined with an adolescent development course to prepare students who wish to teach at upper grade levels in schools, though the Early Childhood Education major does not lead to certification for employment in adolescent classrooms.

Spiritual Curriculum

Whether you intend to pursue teaching at a New Church, private, or public school, our education major will give you a unique opportunity to study educational theories and practices within the context of spiritual principles.

We use the Old and New Testaments and the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg as a guide to the spiritual aspects of our program. It is a premise of the Bryn Athyn College education program that education for the “whole child” includes the nurturing of their spirit as well as the tools they will need to be successful in their everyday life. There is a special focus in the program on authentic learning and encouraging students to serve the neighbor. We believe that teachers have the potential, in any setting, to be a powerful force for good in the lives of their students. They do this by modeling a spiritually focused life and integrating moral values into the content of their lessons.