If you're seeking a degree to become a teacher, choose an undergraduate program that prepares you to teach in both today’s classroom and the classrooms of the future. Our Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is grounded in contemplative practices and values cultural and linguistic diversity. 

Complete your bachelor's in elementary education and become an elementary school teacher who celebrates diversity and addresses children's social emotional intelligence with courage and compassion. 

Learn more about how our program prepares transformative teachers.

 

Quick Facts

120 Credit Hours 800 Hours of Contact Teaching Time 3 Areas of Focus: Education, Content Knowledge, and Contemplative Practice

 

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COURSES YOU COULD TAKE

in Elementary Education

Learn how to become a teacher from award-winning faculty who are deeply committed to the field of education. Our education requirements for teachers include diverse approaches to pedagogy, content knowledge from math to social studies, and personal contemplative coursework. The result is a 120-credit bachelor’s in education program that will fuel your passion for teaching. 

Courses in the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education include:

• Holistic and Contemplative Teaching Traditions 
• Nature and Education 
• Multicultural Education and Contemplative Critical Pedagogy
• Spanish I: Language and Cultural Literacy 

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THE NAROPA DIFFERENCE

Among schools of education, Naropa is unique in its inclusion of mindfulness practices. Our contemplative approach, when integrated with traditional methodologies, prepares you for the needs of today's diverse classroom. By looking inward, Naropa elementary education majors are better able to create compassionate and culturally responsive learning environments.

 

Personal Growth 

Not all degrees in teaching address the self-care skills you’ll need to support yourself as you support the emotional growth of your elementary school students. Pedagogical methodology and content knowledge are crucial, but when you choose teaching as a career, you also need tools to stay inspired and connected with your students. Transform yourself as you learn how to become a teacher. Then, transform the world through teaching.

Commitment to Diversity

At Naropa, we believe that education requirements for teachers should be rigorous, introspective, and culturally responsive. Upon completing the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, our graduates will hold both a fully accredited professional licensure and the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Endorsement. 

Throughout our undergraduate program curriculum, you’ll engage in culturally and linguistically diverse coursework and field placements. The CLD Endorsement increases cultural responsiveness, making our graduates prime candidates for school districts in Colorado and beyond.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Our Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program appreciates students who are highly motivated to serve. That’s why we make it possible for undergraduate students to add elementary teacher licensure to majors beyond education, a trajectory that can be completed in 4 to 4.5 years. For example, you could successfully combine a BA in Environmental Studies with teacher licensure, grounding your education in both your passion for teaching and your love for nature.   

 

STUDENTS, TRANSFORMED

“Naropa's elementary education program emphasizes mindfulness and self-exploration and focuses on anti-racist, multicultural, and critical pedagogy. It’s an opportunity for those passionate about entering the field of teaching to dive deep into why we teach in the first place. I am eager to see this program’s ripple effects on public education as the self-transformation that is taking place at Naropa spreads to elementary schools around the country.”

Rachel Boyle, BA in Elementary Education, 2020

 

What to Expect

Full Accreditation

Become an elementary school teacher upon completion of your bachelor's.

Cultural Responsiveness

Learn to address cultural and linguistic diversity in today's classroom.

Compassion

Develop compassion by connecting deeply with yourself and others.

Mindfulness

Stay grounded and present, even amidst challenging classroom dynamics.

Foundation in Best Practices

Apply best practices from Eastern wisdom traditions and Western pedagogy.

 

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