Exceptional Student Education - Southeastern University - Lakeland

Exceptional Student Education from Southeastern University - Lakeland is a Campus Bachelor Special Education degree that prepares you for a Education career. An Extraordinary Opportunity Autism. Emotional and behavioral disorders. Learning disabilities. Mental and physical impairments. Such conditions challenge huge numbers of schoolchildren, far more than the current population of teachers can serve. Some people choose to work with these students because they've seen firsthand both the need and the rewards-either through a parent who works as a special education teacher, or through having a much-loved special-needs sibling. For Christians, educating children whom many might consider "the least of these" can be the perfect field in which to serve. Here's some great news: If you're called to teach these young people, you can enter a field that's wide open and likely to continue so. What's more, this much-needed bachelor's degree also carries special perks. Many sources of financial aid are available, and graduates are eligible to apply for state and federal loan forgiveness programs. The Degree: A Rare Combination Very few state or Christian institutions offer a degree with this highly marketable set of specializations. Southeastern, in fact, is one of the first institutions in Florida to do so. To help fill the critical shortage of special education teachers, we offer this bachelor's program whose grads are ready to qualify for a rare and sought-after combination of credentials: K-12 certification in Exceptional Student Education plus K-6 certification in elementary education plus certification in middle grades curriculum plus two "add-on" specializations that enable you to teach reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Preparing to Serve Southeastern's Exceptional Student Education program begins with our Christ-centered liberal arts (general education) core curriculum, where you develop an understanding and appreciation of God and His creation, human creativity and reason, and our place of responsibility as stewards in the world God has made. As you forge links between what you've learned in the core and the more specialized courses in your major, our hope is that you also begin to relate all that you learn to your life and your faith. Your Exceptional Student Education classes hone your gifts for servant leadership as you study with Christian professors who bring years of experience in special-needs teaching , both in K-12 and at the college level. They are scholars, researchers, and seasoned supervisors as well. From your special education coursework, expect to learn research-based classroom techniques, with a strong emphasis on best practices and plenty of immediate application. You'll learn how to teach special-needs children with the four most prevalent conditions: learning disabilities, behavior disorders, intellectual disabilities, and autism (now almost a national epidemic). Your major courses zoom in on skills that (along with prayer!) you'll be able to use daily with your future students: assessing the children's particular needs; adapting your curriculum to meet them; designing individual learning plans; using assisted technology and alternate communication devices; teaching phonics and vocabulary. Three of your semesters include increasingly extensive field experiences in our local partner schools (two to five hours per week); full-time student teaching takes place in your final semester. Just like your professors, you also cultivate faith that your special-needs students, regardless of disability, not only can learn; they can enjoy learning. And you hold in mind, always, the words of Jesus: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." What's Next? Southeastern's unique and versatile Exceptional Student Education degree prepares you to take on a variety of professional roles related to the education and rights of special-needs students: Classroom teacher/team teacher Consultant/interventionist in the school system Special education administrator Diagnostician, working with test interpretation and results Specialist in assisted technology Professional advocate in agencies and organizations View more details on Southeastern University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Special Education courses.