Teaching - English and Language Arts
UW-Eau Claire's English and language arts bachelor's degree prepares you to become a certified English and language arts teacher in grades 4-12.
Inspire the Next Generation of Readers
Taught by passionate, supportive faculty members, coursework will help you to learn best practices and effective instructional techniques when teaching writing, speaking, reading, and literature.
The majority of the major is made up of courses chosen by you. Explore the nature and structure of human language, different types of communication, writing styles, language myths and how literature has changed over time. This broad range — and incredible flexibility — allows you to personalize your studies and focus on the areas that most interest you.
Professional development is a key focus of the major. Through projects, labs and fieldwork, you'll gain the tools and skills needed to develop successful students. The opportunity to assist teachers in their classrooms throughout your four years — as well as student teach for a full semester — will help you to build your leadership skills, identify your preferred teaching style, and discover how to best meet the needs of your learners.
Upon completion of the teaching - English and language arts major, you'll have experience collaborating, exercising creativity and communicating effectively — as well as a strong understanding of the many facets of literacy and language. Our graduates go on to instill a love and appreciation for language, reading and writing in elementary, middle, and high school students, helping them to grow on both a personal and academic level.
Program Details
Licensure Information
Completion of teacher preparation programs at UW-Eau Claire meets licensure requirements in Wisconsin. Our programs may not meet requirements in other states. It is very important that individuals seeking licensure in another state obtain the most recent certification/licensure information directly from the state in which they seek employment. Find contact information on each state licensure office here.
Licensure requirements can change at any time. UW-Eau Claire’s Teacher Education Program Office ensures that our programs meet the requirements for licensure in Wisconsin. If you seek licensure in another state, be aware that their requirements could change at any time.
The United States Department of Education requires institutions to disclose information for programs leading to professional certification or licensure concerning whether each program meets state educational requirements for initial licensure or certification. Please note:
- Obtaining a Wisconsin Teaching License PRIOR to applying for a teaching license in another state is usually helpful and strongly recommended.
- "Meets requirements" means that a student is eligible for a license with stipulations, typically for 1-3 years, in that state. The stipulations are likely to be specific testing requirements and/or competency through a course or examination. In some instances, additional stipulations might be added.
- Licensure grade levels vary from state to state. Students who are eligible for a specific grade range in Wisconsin may be licensed for a narrower grade range in another state. Each state determines grade ranges for licensing differently.
- State licensure requirements may change at any time. Licensure questions should be referred to the Teacher Education Program Office (tep@uwec.edu).
The requirements of this program meet requirements in the following states or territories:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, American Samoa
The requirements of this program do not meet licensure in the following states or territories:
Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, Washington, D.C., Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
Partaking in cultural and global experiences is highly encouraged at UWEC. English majors regularly choose to take their education a step further by studying abroad in places like Japan, France, Italy, South Korea, and Australia. Cultural immersion programs have allowed students to better understand the world around them, while directly immersing them in new and different cultures. Past programs have explored transnationalism in Jamaica; cultural practices of the Hmong in Fresno, California; and the Civil Rights Pilgrimage in Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
A variety of literature, culture, theory, and film courses — as well as English and communication and journalism electives — allow you to become an expert in multiple areas. Explore topics in visual communication, social media, British literature, popular culture, poetry, and linguistics. A class focused on literature for middle and high school ages will introduce you to trends relevant to young-adult literature, strategies to promote reading, and teaching techniques to use in any language arts classroom.
The English Department at UW-Eau Claire offers countless opportunities to learn beyond the classroom, including the chance to conduct groundbreaking research. Alongside dedicated faculty members, your work could lead to publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at regional or national conferences.
To help you explore career opportunities and make valuable connections, we host an annual Education Job Fair, an on-campus career fair specific for those looking to enter the field of education. This event is an excellent opportunity to make connections and submit your resume for current and future job openings.
Blugold Stories
I went to a really big high school. The teachers knew you, but they didn't know you. Here, I feel like even though it's a big school, it's not overwhelmingly big. You're able to get those relationships with your professors and find a mentor in a class that you only have for 50 minutes a week. It's definitely different than what I thought it was going to be, and I'm really grateful.
Some people might stay away from English classes because they think they're bad writers. I would say no one is a bad writer. Writing, like art, is very subjective, and I promise you there is someone out there who will share your story and see the light in your writing. If you're interested in expressing yourself or just have feelings you need to work through, creative writing is something that you should try.
Justthe
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Where can the teaching - English and language arts program lead me after graduation?
Graduates of the teaching - English and language arts program leave well prepared to educate, motivate and inspire the next generation. Upon completion of the program, you will be certified to teach any English and language arts courses in grades 4-12.
Recent Graduates
English Teacher
DeLong Middle School
Wisconsin
English Teacher
Jonathan Alder Local Schools
Ohio
English Teacher
Wauwatosa School District
Wisconsin
English Teacher
Kewaskum School District
Wisconsin
English Teacher
Eau Claire Area School District
Wisconsin
English Teacher
Forest Lake Area Schools
Minnesota
The curriculum within the teaching - English and language arts program is diverse and all-encompassing. Classes explore the theories and methods of teaching English and language arts in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. Lab courses and field experience will provide you with hours of student-teaching experience, helping you to learn — and apply — best practices and effective teaching and classroom management techniques.
You'll also work closely with future educators, making important relationships and connections along the way. Your cohort will include people who, like you, are passionate about English and language arts and are interested in working with kids and young adults.
Here are a few courses in Teaching - English and Language Arts at UW-Eau Claire.
ENGL 210
Introduction to Critical Studies
Students learn methods for understanding how texts construct meaning and shape frameworks of power that mediate human relationships.
ENGL 244
American Literature from 1865-1945
Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, and folktales of the late nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth, from Chopin, Gilman and Twain to Eliot, Faulkner, O'Neill, and Hurston.
ENGL 150
Introduction to Literature
Appreciation and analysis of great works of literature in fiction (short story and novel), poetry, and drama, through the application of a range of critical techniques.
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