Interest Tag: Children

The Education Unit draws upon a Biblically-based perspective to prepare pre-service teachers to embody Christ-like servanthood. We prepare teachers to cultivate relational peace, educational equity, and justice for all children and to impact the mind, body, and soul of each student through excellence in teaching. Our pre-service teachers exemplify professionalism and ethical behavior inside and outside of the classroom as they serve with excellence in education.

Students with a business education major may seek the Illinois Professional Educator License with a grades 6-12 endorsement.

K-12 specialist education majors must choose one of the following content areas majors:

• Art education
• Music education
• Physical education
• Spanish education

Through this program, you will receive the Secondary Education (9-12) teaching license in the state of Illinois in one of the following major areas:

• Biology education
• Chemistry education
• English education
• History education

The middle grades education major leads to the Professional Educator License with middle grades endorsement (grades 5-8). The content areas available for middle grades are:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Science

And/or other minors:

• Diverse Learners
• English as a Second Language/ Bilingual Education
• Educational Technology

As a licensed teacher, you may have seen firsthand the growing need for teachers who can advocate and meet the needs of students whose first language is not English. With significant population changes in our community, teachers need to consider how to design classroom communities that support English language learners. Be successful and prepared to help those students flourish by adding an English as a Second Language or Bilingual Education (ESL/BE) endorsement to your teaching license. In 2017, the Illinois State Board of Education extended the ESL/BE endorsement to apply to teaching in Pre-K to Grade 12.

Our ESL/BE endorsement adult undergraduate program at Trinity focuses on advocacy as well as strategies, methods and appropriate assessments for teaching ESL/BE students. You will learn from experienced professors who have taught ESL/BE students and are familiar with the research-based methods and legislative developments.

The special education major leads to the Professional Educator License with special education endorsement (Pre-K to Age 21). Students who choose to major in special education may also complete another major leading to a second endorsement (elementary, middle grades, a secondary program, or a K-12 specialist program).

The elementary education major leads to the Professional Educator License with elementary endorsement (grades 1-6). You choose from the following minors:

• Diverse Learners
• Educational Technology
• English as a Second Language/Bilingual Education
• Mathematics Education
• Science
• Special Education
• Spanish
• Urban Studies

Classes meet at night from 6 pm-10 pm. Classes begin every fall and spring on our main campus in Palos Heights.

Tuition is $613 per credit hour. Learn about financial aid and scholarship opportunities HERE.

Learn about the Admissions process HERE.

When you choose to minor in special education from Trinity, you will learn the skills you need to encourage and grow students with special needs, and Trinity can get you ready to meet your passion.

The global community needs teachers who are prepared to educate and guide the diversity of learners found in many classrooms today. Trinity’s Diverse Learners minor prepares our students for teaching those with learning differences and those whose first language is not English.

This minor combines English as a Second Language (ESL)/Bilingual Education (BE) classes with special education courses. Students who complete the Diverse Learners minor receive an ESL or BE endorsement.  It represents another possible minor for those seeking elementary, secondary, or K-12 education licensure. The minor can also be paired as a second minor with a content area education minor (English, Science, Social Science) for the Middle Grades Education Major.

When you choose to minor in special education from Trinity, you will learn the skills you need to encourage and grow students with special needs, and Trinity can get you ready to meet your passion.