Whatcom Community College
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Education/Teaching Pathways
Click on each education/teaching pathway to see the recommended quarter-by-quarter classes and other recommendations.
These pathways assume:
- You will be a full-time student.
- You will start in the fall.
- You are ready to take 100- and 200-level classes.
If not, you can still complete the pathway! You will just need to make adjustments. Talk with your advisor to customize your plan.
Follow this recommended pathway to earn the AAS/DTA degree and prepare to major in elementary education (the Language, Literacy and Cultural Studies option) at Western Washington University. You can customize your plan even more. Talk with your advisor about adapting it for your individual goals.
If you intend to teach a specific subject (such as art, math, or history), you will need to major in your subject. You should use the pathway for your subject instead of this one.
| Description | This course helps students become more effective writers in academic and professional settings. Students learn to enter ongoing academic conversations, analyze and use secondary sources to formulate, develop, revise, and communicate ideas in writing, and shape their message to different purposes, audiences, and media. (CC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of ENGL 95 or placement in ENGL& 101. |
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| Description | Survey course in history, philosophy and principles, issues, and trends in American Education. Includes opportunities for observations of educational models and exploration of career paths. (SS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | The basic properties and graphs of functions and inverses of functions, operations on functions, compositions; various specific functions and their properties including polynomial, absolute value, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions; applications of various functions; conics. A graphing calculator is required. (QSR,MS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of MATH 099 or MATH 132 with a minimum grade of C. |
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Total credits this quarter: 15
Career exploration: Find your people! Attend area-of-study activities and connect with clubs related to your career goals.
Career exploration: Learn about education careers as part of EDUC& 202.
Action item: Meet with your advisor to build your degree plan. Planning note: if you didn't complete at least two years of a world language in high school, you'll need to meet your world-language requirement with two quarters of a language at Whatcom.
Action item: Have your transfer-in credits officially evaluated.
| Description | This course helps students become more effective communicators through the production of various forms and mediums of writing. Students develop effective rhetorical strategies through analysis of texts and contexts, as well as engaging in independent research as part of meaningful and ethical scholarship. (CC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of ENGL& 101 with a minimum grade of C-. |
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| Description | Basic concepts and theory of development from birth through early adolescence. Techniques for observing, assessing, and recording growth and development. (LEd) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Designed to introduce students to basic interpersonal communication theory. Emphasis on topics such as functions of communication, self-concept, perception, conversation skills, relationship development and maintenance, self-disclosure, assertiveness, and conflict management strategies. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Placement in ENGL& 101 |
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| Description | Introduction to communication theory and public speaking emphasizing organization, audience analysis, oral styles, and use of visual aids. Includes presentation of various types of public speeches and analyses of contemporary speeches. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL& 101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Introduces students to the theory and practice of small group communication. Course covers interpersonal relationships in groups, leadership, decision-making, problem solving, and presentations speaking in a variety of settings. Recommended preparation: placement in ENGL& 101. (OC) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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Total credits this quarter: 15
Career exploration: Research the possibilities for teaching at the elementary or middle-school level by looking at the websites of WWU and other universities you're interested in.
| Description | Integrate the family and community contexts in which a child develops.Explore cultures and demographics of families in society, community resources, strategies for involving families in the education of their child, and tools for effective communication. (UEd) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Surveys the knowledge and methods of the discipline of psychology. Emphasis include an overview of current knowledge in major areas of psychology, accessing and assessing information about behavior, skills inscientific reasoning and critical thinking. (SS) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Fundamental concepts of biology including biodiversity, process and application of science, intersections of science and society, ecological principles, and genetics. For non-science majors. Lab work included. (MSwl) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Placement in ENGL& 101 |
| Course Attributes |
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Total credits this quarter: 13
Career exploration: Take advantage of opportunities to work with youth in the community. For instance, Cordata Elementary near Whatcom is often looking for volunteers.
Action item: Check the GPA and other entry requirements for your future major. Are you on track?
Action item: Find out whether you need to take the WEST-B exam and if you do, schedule it.
| Description | First of a three quarter set of courses using extensive hands-on and inquiry-based activities that allow students to develop a solid understanding of the nature of interactions and energy exchange. Students will develop critical thinking skills required to pursue scientific understanding of important ideas in physical systems. Not intended for students with prior physical science coursework. Preferred sequence is PHYSC 104, GEOL 104, and BIOL 104. Lab work included. (MSl) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | The course introduces the student to practices and principles in the field of communication as they apply to face to face interaction with peoples of diverse cultures both within the U.S. and out. The course isdesigned to provide students with the knowledge and opportunity to apply skills learned in class to their everyday encounters. Topics covered include intercultural barriers, cultural values, worldview, and the interrelation between the environment and social systems that underpin culture. (SS,Hwgs) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Placement in ENGL& 101 and completion of One of the following CMST& 101, 210, 220 or 230 |
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| Description | Study of culture and society with a cross-cultural perspective of human adaptation to the bio-cultural environment. Topics include technology, resource consumption and economics, medicine, family, social groups, political systems, religion, expressive arts, language, values, culture change, human impact on the environment, and globalization. (SSwdgs) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Placement in ENGL& 101 |
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Total credits this quarter: 15
Action item: Meet with the internship coordinator to start arranging an internship at a school for Quarter 6.
Action item: Meet with your advisor about applying to universities. Start your transfer applications.
Action item: Apply for next year's financial aid.
| Description | Interdisciplinary introduction to global humanities (literature, philosophy, architecture/design, visual and performing arts, etc.), emphasizing experience and participation. Individual instructors determinea central theme or issue to establish focus and comparative structure. Seventh credit may be earned by enrolling in HUM 106 concurrently. Fulfills two Humanities distribution subject areas. (Hwdg) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Placement in ENGL& 101 |
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| Description | Enrollment can only be concurrent and in conjunction with HUM& 101. This additional credit option requires students to attend or experience events in the arts and generate written critical responses, extending and applying HUM& 101 curriculum. (Hwdg) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Concurrent enrollment in HUM& 101 and placement in ENGL& 101 |
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| Description | This course introduces students to the field of children's literature, spanning classic to contemporary works. The emphasis is on exploringvarious genres, styles, trends, and cultural traditions-through works for the very young to young adults. (Hwd) |
| Enrollment Requirements | Completion of ENGL& 101 |
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| Description | Introductory course in recognition and identification of exceptionality in children from birth through high school. Includes state and federal regulations and provisions for special education and related services, as well as adaptations for serving special needs students in general education classrooms. (LE) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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Total credits this quarter: 17
Action item: Apply to graduate by week 3 of this quarter.
Action item: If you plan to transfer to Western Washington University, apply to Woodring College of Education before March 1st for fall admission.
| Description | Health and wellness explores physical and emotional health and wellness topics, such as stress reduction, proper nutrition, and physical fitness. Students will examine major health and lifestyle issues of contemporary society and will participate in personal assessments and develop a wellness plan. (LE) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Introduction to geology, oceanography, and meteorology. Interaction of physical processes on earth with human affairs. Lab work included.(MSl) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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| Description | Students deepen learning, enrich resumes by applying knowledge and skills in a structured, career-related setting within the employing community. Also developed are appropriate work ethics, attitudes, responsibility, personal qualities, critical thinking, problem solving skills necessary for the workplace. Measurable learning outcomes are written collaboratively with student, faculty mentor and employer. Recommended preparation CO-OP 180. (LE) |
| Enrollment Requirements | None |
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Total credits this quarter: 15
Career exploration: This quarter's internship gives you experience working in a formal educational setting.
Action item: Attend the spring job fair.
If you plan to teach at the middle-school or high-school level, you'll need to complete a university major in the subject you plan to teach. Because of that, your pathway at Whatcom should be the one for that subject.
Here are some courses you might consider taking wherever your main pathway gives you the option:
PSYC& 100 General psychology (5 credits) SS
EDUC& 202 Intro to education (5 credits) SS
ANTH& 206 Cultural anthropology (5 credits) SS, wdgs
CMST 225 Intercultural communication (5 credits) H or SS, wgs
PE 181 Health and wellness (5 credits) LE
PSYC 210 Child development (5 credits) SS
CTWOC 201 Compass 2 Campus youth mentoring (3 credits) UE, d
EDUC 190 Education internship (1-5 credits) LE