American Studies is an exciting interdisciplinary program that invites you to take an active role in shaping your education. Working closely with a faculty advisor, you will create your own curriculum, drawing on a broad range of classes from departments across campus-including history, English, sociology, political science, philosophy, art history, psychology, anthropology, theater, music, education, and earth and environmental sciences. By examining social and political issues from a variety of perspectives, you will deepen your understanding of the diverse peoples and complex histories that make up the United States. You will not only strengthen the critical thinking, reading and writing skills that are essential for good teaching, but you will also learn to communicate to young students the importance of being an engaged citizen. Students take 30 credits in American Studies to satisfy the liberal arts and sciences requirements for the B.S. in Childhood Education degree program.<br><br>In addition to a thorough curriculum in American Studies, you will take specialized education courses and participate in student-teaching. To prepare you for the classroom environment, your coursework will emphasize effective teaching techniques, innovative lesson planning, motivation strategies and student assessment. Your education classes will examine ways that you can use your knowledge to maximize learning outcomes for young students. You will learn how to understand the intellectual, physical and emotional development of teenagers, to encourage peer cooperation and collaboration, to foster student self-esteem and moral development, and to empower parents. You will explore issues of race, ethnicity and gender as they apply to the classroom. The program includes supervised practice teaching in actual classrooms, allowing you to observe certified teachers and interact with children. LIU Post teacher education students enjoy close personal contact with faculty who are dedicated to mentoring the next generation of highly skilled teachers.