Education Program Profile
Lutheran Teachers Diploma
Education Fieldwork Experiences
Education Program Courses
Education Faculty
Meet an Education Student
Education Program Profile
Concordia’s teacher Education programs, fully accredited by NCATE, include a foundation in liberal arts and a core of education courses, which are enhanced by a strong emphasis on pre-professional field experiences. Teacher education candidates select an area of academic concentration. For candidates in the Early Childhood, Childhood and Middle Childhood Generalist programs, a Liberal Studies concentration is available with a specialization in Art, Social Sciences, Biology, English, Religion, Mathematics, or Social Studies.
Graduates of Concordia’s Teacher Education program qualify academically for an initial New York State Classroom Teaching Certificate and thus are ready to teach in public, private, or parochial schools. Teacher Education candidates who wish to work with younger students in a traditional self-contained classroom may choose Early Childhood (birth–grade 2), Childhood (grades 1–6) or Middle Childhood Generalist (grades 5-9) program.
Lutheran Teachers Diploma
In addition to preparing candidates for NYS certification, the program also grants a Lutheran Teachers Diploma that certifies teachers to serve in the nationwide Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod school system.
Education Fieldwork Experiences
Field experiences begin during freshman year with a five-day pre-professional practicum during which candidates serve as teachers’ aides in the grade level of their choice. Prior to the student teaching semester, Concordia candidates are required to complete at least 100 additional hours of fieldwork, including experiences with students in high-needs urban settings, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency.
Fieldwork and student teaching sites include:
| Westchester County Public Schools include: | Location |
| Bronxville | Bronxville |
| Bronx | Bronx |
| Eastchester | Eastchester |
| Harrison | Harrison |
| Long Island | Long Island |
| Mount Vernon | Mount Vernon |
| New Rochelle | New Rochelle |
| Pelham | Pelham |
| Scarsdale | Scarsdale |
| Tuckahoe | Tuckahoe |
| Yonkers | Yonkers |
| New York Parochial Schools include: | Location |
| Baltimore Lutheran School | MD |
| The Chapel School | Bronxville |
| Immaculate Conception | Tuckahoe |
| Martin Luther High | Queens |
| St. Mark’s Lutheran | Yonkers |
| Our Redeemer School | Fords, NJ |
| Our Saviour Lutheran | Bronx |
| Peace Lutheran School | Saginaw, MI |
| Redeemer Lutheran School | Glendale, NY |
| St. Andrew’s Lutheran School | Park Ridge, IL |
| Trinity Lutheran | Hicksville |
| Zion Lutheran School | Westwood, NJ |
Education Program Courses
Concordia’s education courses prepare students for a variety of classroom settings.
Courses of interest include:
Microteaching Lab
This course applies the principles of teaching in a peer group setting. Through videotaping and other interactive classroom experiences, students gain insight into purposeful teaching methods.
Curriculum and Assessment
This course introduces students to the New York State Learning Standards, as well as principles for development of curricula, evaluation of students’ progress toward goals and objectives, and interpretation of the results of standardized tests.
Pre-professional Practicum Experience
Through field experience as a teacher’s aide in the classroom, teacher candidates gain insights into the operation of the learning environments at various and appropriate grade levels. Experiences include motivation, communication, classroom management, and instructional planning.
Religious Education and The Role of the Christian Teacher
Teacher candidates preparing for the teaching ministry of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod study the goals, objectives, content, and methods of teaching the Christian faith, as well as the special responsibilities of teachers in Lutheran schools.
Home, School, Church, and Community Relations
This course explores the vital and necessary interrelationships among the four elements present in the overall education of children and adolescents: home, school, church, and community. Consideration of the effects of culture, heritage, and socioeconomic level on a student’s readiness to learn is an important aspect of the course.
Education Faculty
Dr. Robert Berman
Assistant Professor of Education
Ed.D., Northern Illinois University; M.A., Roosevelt University; B.A. Ithaca College
Dr. LuJuana R. Butts
Professor of Education
Ed.D., Ed.S., M.A., George Washington University; B.S., D.C. Teachers College, Washington, D.C.
Stanley Kramer
Coordinator for Teacher Education Program
M.A., New York University; B.S., Concordia College, River Forest
Dr. C. David Leonard
Associate Professor of Education
Ed.D., M.A., Columbia University; B.S. University of South Carolina
Dr. Christine Rowe
Assistant Professor of Education
Ed.D., Southern Connecticut State University; M.S., Western Connecticut State University; B.A., The College of New Jersey