Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education • Teacher Education • Lewis & Clark Grad School Quick Links Apply Visit Alumni Current Students Counseling Center Library Giving Commencement The Source Newsroom
Our full-time 12-13 month program provides a strong pedagogical foundation for elementary educators (K-5)—helping you learn the art of great teaching, while empowering you to address issues of equity and access in schools.
Elementary Education (K-5) Grounded in social justice principles, our Elementary MAT program prepares students to become transformative, equity-minded educators. Application Requirements Elementary Education (K-5) Our full-time 12-13 month program provides a strong pedagogical foundation for elementary educators (K-5)—helping you learn the art of great teaching, while empowering you to address issues of equity and access in schools. Through a combination of on-campus courses and extensive, field-based teaching experiences, you’ll become skilled at helping children learn and grow using creative, reflective, and culturally responsive approaches to teaching, learning, and research. By the end of the program, you’ll earn a Master of Arts in Teaching and qualify for an Oregon Preliminary Teaching License. Program Overview Total credit hours: 40 Program length: 12-13 months Program director: Laura Barbour → Options: Part-Time MAT Elementary Cohort for School Employees → VIEW PROGRAM OF STUDY Faculty Laura Barbour Clinical Assistant Professor, Elementary MAT Program Director lbarbour@lclark.edu Read bio → Teri Tilley Assistant Professor tilleyt@lclark.edu Read bio → Lina Darwich Associate Professor and Mary Stuart Rogers Professor of Education ldarwich@lclark.edu Read bio → Leigh VonDerahe Reading Intervention Program Director; MAT Literacy Instructor lvonderahe@lclark.edu Read bio → Alejandra Favela Associate Professor afavela@lclark.edu Read bio → Lewis & Clark provides a rigorous learning environment and a democratic approach to education for our graduate students to create systemic change and advocate for their future students, families, colleagues, and school communities. Laura Barbour Program Director and Assistant Professor Elementary Education Master of Arts in Teaching Program Social Justice Mission Deeply Committed to Social Justice At Lewis & Clark, our social justice mission is more than a talking point—it’s fully integrated into nearly every aspect of our programs. From the courses we offer and the texts we assign to the faculty members we hire, we strive to facilitate meaningful conversations around social justice topics and teach you how to incorporate equity into your teaching practice to better serve your future students, schools, and the larger community. You’ll graduate with a clear sense of how to enact social justice teaching in elementary classrooms, be empowered to drive change in education, and create a lasting impact on children’s lives. Amplifying Diverse Voices Our Elementary MAT program’s core texts showcase diverse voices and highlight new best practices in teaching. Here’s a glimpse into the some of the texts you can expect to read: Teaching for Black Lives Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain The New Teacher Book Being the Change Start Here, Start Now
I chose Lewis & Clark for the focus on social justice. I had worked in schools with past Lewis & Clark graduates and they were always the people in the building who I aspired to be.”
I was especially appreciative of L&C’s emphasis on interdisciplinary instruction and the focus on embedding teaching for social justice in content areas you wouldn’t immediately think of, like math and science.
The best part of the program is the community that you develop within your small cohort. I feel like my peers are my family and I am excited to go into my career knowing that I have a community of folks to lean on and collaborate with.”
I chose Lewis & Clark’s MAT Elementary Education program because it focused on equity and inclusion. I hope to apply my social justice education to my chosen career by providing students a voice in the classroom and giving them agency with regards to their education.”
Why Choose Lewis & Clark Reputation for Academic Excellence Lewis & Clark’s programs are respected nationwide for their quality and academic rigor. Our elementary education program combines broad subject area knowledge with specific pedagogical content knowledge to ensure that you’ll gain the skills and dispositions needed to become a competent, capable teacher in just 12-13 months. Social Justice Focus Through coursework focused on culturally responsive teaching, texts that amplify diverse voices in education, and training in working with students from different cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, you’ll be prepared to tackle issues of equity in schools and make a meaningful impact on your students’ lives. Real World, Hands-On Experience Our Elementary MAT program features a yearlong teaching practicum that puts you in a real classroom from the very beginning, so you can start gaining the skills you’ll need to succeed as an educator in a hands-on learning environment. Supportive Environment and Community With small cohort sizes of 20 students or less, you can expect lots of personal attention and support from faculty members, staff, peers, and teacher-mentors. You’ll form meaningful, lasting connections and develop a strong foundation for your professional network. Skilled, Sought-After Graduates Our program’s reputation for producing exceptional teachers means that our graduates are highly sought-after by local school districts and across the entire state. In fact, the majority of our students receive a job offer just before or shortly after completing their program. Accomplished Program Faculty Our experienced faculty members are committed to ensuring our students’ success both academically and in their future careers. They’ve not only been teachers themselves, but are considered thought leaders in the field, contributing to groundbreaking research and becoming regularly published in reputable education-industry publications. Stunning Campus in a Vibrant, Progressive City Our beautiful, historic campus is just six miles from downtown Portland, OR with easy access to the city’s cultural offerings, great food, and abundant nature. You’ll quickly discover why Portland was ranked #9 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020-21 list of best places to live. Professional Development & Career Services Our program prepares you to confidently enter the workforce through professional development activities like resume building workshops, practice interviews with local principals, Q&A sessions, and exclusive job fairs where you can connect with potential employers directly. You’ll also have access to lifetime career assistance. A teacher candidate works with a student during her practicum experience. Practicum Through our unique, yearlong teaching practicum, you’ll have the opportunity to learn hands-on—applying your course- work to a real-world environment and gaining critical insights that can only be gleaned by working in the field. Our Partnership & Placement team will review your preferences and match you with a qualified teacher-mentor in the greater Portland metro area. Working side-by-side, you’ll remain in the same classroom for an entire school year, building trusting relationships with your students, their parents, and school staff. As the year progresses, you’ll gradually take on more and more responsibility, culminating with taking over the classroom and handling all of your teacher-mentor’s tasks for 6 weeks. Career Information Our Elementary MAT program graduates are in high demand with local school districts and across the entire state, with most students receiving a job offer shortly after graduating. Interested in teaching outside of Oregon? Due to our state’s stringent requirements for teacher education, you’ll find that your Oregon teaching license can be easily transferred to other states and even qualify you to work at many international schools. For more information or for licensure-related questions, please contact Sharon Chinn at ecls@lclark.edu . Financial Aid We use FAFSA to determine your eligibility for financial aid. To further offset the cost of your education, we encourage you to also apply for public service loan forgiveness programs, grant programs like TEACH, and Lewis & Clark’s scholarships for teacher candidates. Financial Aid Office Estimated Tuition: $45,760 Total Number of Credits in Program: 40 Total tuition costs based on 2025-2026 credit rate of $1,144 per credit Note: Tuition increases each academic year. Other Resources About Teacher Education » Application Requirements and Deadlines » Forms and Resources » FAQs » Professional Development for Licensed Teachers » Accreditation Our Elementary MAT program is approved and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC). Full Accreditation Details Learn More About Our Elementary Teacher Program Loading… Teaching is located in room 415 of Rogers Hall on the Graduate Campus. email lcteach@lclark.edu voice 503-768-6104 fax 503-768-6115 Department Teaching, School Counseling, and Leadership Studies Chair Mollie Galloway Elementary Program Director Laura Barbour Secondary Program Director Maika Yeigh Cari Zall (summer term) Administrative Specialist Shanta Calem Teaching Lewis & Clark 615 S. Palatine Hill Road Portland OR 97219 Admissions Academics Financial Aid Alumni
