Science Education Major
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About the Major
The science education program prepares students for careers as high school teachers in one of the science disciplines. The program emphasizes practical, hands-on experience in classrooms as well as educational theory and pedagogy while providing students with deep science content knowledge.
Jobs in Science Education
- Biology teacher
- Chemistry teacher
- Physics teacher
- Environmental science teacher
- Museum/science center instructor
Past Elon Science Education Internships
- Graham High School
- Hugh M. Cummings High School
- Southern Alamance High School
- Walter M. Williams High School
- Western Alamance High School
Related Majors
Elon gave her the skills to be an effective science teacher — and stand on her own after college
Anna Lewis entered Elon University in 2012 knowing she wanted to major in physics — a subject that frustrated but fascinated her in high school — but she thought she would take the research route and go into academia.
But something changed when she entered the AmeriCorps VISTA program her freshman year and became a mentor at Elon Academy, a college-access program for local high school students. She enjoyed teaching the teenagers difficult subjects and watching their faces as they grasped the concept. And she felt honored to be someone the students could trust and talk to.
Elon taught me how to persevere, how to try new things, how to not be afraid of meeting new people, how to get myself out into the community. Elon let me stand on my own and be successful.
Though education was the furthest thing from her mind when she entered Elon, Lewis graduated in 2016 with a double major in physics and science education and began teaching science at Carrboro High School that fall. Eight years later, she is still there.
“It just really opened my eyes,” she said in May 2024. “Seeing a student understand a concept, especially in physics, there’s nothing like it, even after all these eight years. Being able to work with students [at Elon Academy] was really beneficial to me. Before, I thought teaching was a boring job where, ‘Here’s the material, you get it,’ but working with students and hearing what works for them and what doesn’t, it just became more than I ever thought it would be.”
Lewis didn’t declare her second major in science education until the end of her sophomore year, which made for a very busy final two years cramming in teaching requirements and physics labs and working two jobs, but she said she enjoyed the process.
“I had late nights in the dorm, late nights in the labs, staying up late making lesson plans, so it was definitely double the work, but it was what I wanted to do,” she said. “And I had great support from my teachers. Everything was so streamlined that I could do both.”
Even though she entered the School of Education later than most, she still was able to have multiple experiences inside local classrooms before she did her student teaching. Having those “practicums,” where education majors shadow or assist teachers, set her up for success, Lewis said.
And she had Elon Academy as well, where, during the year, she was a College Access Team member, and for three summers, she mentored a small group of students, serving as a resource for them. She also assisted with one course each summer, including an Engineering 101 class, and stayed in a dorm with her female students. The experience gave Lewis a chance to see what teaching was like outside of the subject matter, which helped when she started her full-time job at Carrboro High.
“Especially teaching physics, for some students, they’re never going to remember a single thing, but I try to instill in them how to deal with deadlines, how to study, because those life skills are going to translate more than knowing what an equation is, especially if they don’t decide to do [physics] in the future,” Lewis said. “Elon Academy really let those students have a place to learn how to do well outside of high school and how to be successful in college.”
When it came time to student teach, which she did at Williams High School in Burlington, Lewis was given the necessary support but also the freedom to experiment. Her cooperating teacher let her do her own thing, gave her the opportunity for trial and error, and debriefed her after not-so-successful days. What was incredibly helpful about student teaching, Lewis said, was that she had to teach outside her comfort zone of physics. Lewis taught physical science and chemistry, subjects she had learned, of course, but weren’t her specialty.
“It just showed me the work that needed to be put in, because you can’t just go in unprepared,” she said. “In North Carolina, even though my concentration is physics, I need to be able to teach it all. You can’t be proficient in just one subject.”
That proved to be the case after graduation as well. At Carrboro High, she has taught multiple levels of earth science in addition to physics.
Though it’s been nearly a decade since she left Elon, Lewis said she still applies the lessons she learned there in her life. Elon taught her the importance of maintaining a work–life balance so she wouldn’t burn out. It taught her how to plan and be prepared for her classes. It taught her how to make attractive slides for her classroom. But more than that, it taught her that sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone and take chances.
As one of the few Black females in Elon’s Physics Department at the time, Lewis had to seek out opportunities where she could be around people who looked like her and held her ideals. She found that as a member of Elon’s Gospel Choir.
“It was a way for me to connect, a way to have fun and be around like-minded people,” she said. “That’s really helped me as I’ve gotten older. You have to seek things out; everything isn’t going to be handed to you or put in front of you. Elon gave me the ability to try new things.”
The choir was one of those experiences. She also worked for the Office of Student Conduct and was an ambassador for Elon’s Alumni Association.
When she talks to her high school students today, she reminds them that college is what you make it.
“As you get older and grow up and move away from your friends and family, you have to make life what it is for you, and Elon taught me how to persevere, how to try new things, how to not be afraid of meeting new people, how to get myself out into the community,” she said. “Elon let me stand on my own and be successful. It gave me all those skills so that I’ve always felt prepared for life after college.”
Did You Know?
- The initial teacher preparation programs pride themselves on a student-oriented, evidence-based philosophy of teaching, early and continuous field experiences, and national accreditation. The program emphasizes practical hands-on experience in classrooms as well as educational theory and pedagogy.
- Elon’s science departments, in collaboration with the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, offer programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Science Education with Secondary Science Comprehensive Licensure in the areas of biology, chemistry, environmental science and physics.
- Candidates in the teacher education program participate in a variety of clinical experiences in diverse school settings throughout the community. Early clinical experiences may include tutoring, observing, classroom assistance and small group instruction. The culminating clinical experience for teacher candidates is a full semester of student teaching in the teacher candidate’s licensure area.