Teacher Education

Goal 1: Teacher candidates demonstrate competence in oral and written communication with students and colleagues and engage in synthetic and critical thinking.

Professional Knowledge:

• Understand that reflective thinking and self-evaluation through verbal and written techniques provide opportunities for active engagement in learning.
• Understand the role of information literacy skills in developing next-generation learners.
• Understand the process of argumentation.

Professional Skills:

• Use effective communication skills to collaborate with colleagues, parents and students.
• Facilitate reflective thinking and self-evaluation through verbal and written techniques that provide opportunities for active engagement in learning.
• Infuse information literacy skills when providing opportunities for learning.
• Employ and facilitate the process of argumentation.

Professional Dispositions:

• Consult with colleagues and parents to develop cooperative support for students' learning and well-being.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to students and seek outside help when appropriate.
• Demonstrate positive collaboration through community service.

Goal 2: Teacher candidates demonstrate research-based strategies to develop and deliver effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment of all students while engaging in reflective, critical analyses of effective teaching.

Professional Knowledge:

• Understand the relationship between standards, curriculum, and assessment.
• Know the state accreditation process and how it relates to school improvement, curriculum, and assessment.
• Understand theories of learning, a variety of appropriate instructional strategies and understand effective instruction for all students.
• Understand technology can be used to engage students, support and enhance curriculum, and aide professional productivity.

Professional Skills:

• Design curriculum based on a growth mind set integrated with the principals of differentiation and brain research.
• Design curriculum based on standards that build on previous knowledge, is sensitive to developmental needs, and uses a variety of appropriate instructional strategies and technology resources to promote synthetic thinking, critical thinking, problem solving, digital learning, and literacy.
• Identify and assess appropriate student outcomes and performances and create learning experiences that meet the needs of all students.
• Design instruction that is appropriate to stages of social-emotional and intellectual development, strengths, and needs.
• Facilitate self-evaluation and reflective thinking to provide opportunities for active engagement in learning.
• Use technology to enhance professional development and learning, and facilitate professional productivity.

Professional Dispositions:

• Provide a tolerant learning environment that encourages students to understand, question, and interpret ideas from diverse perspectives through curriculum development, adaptation, and assessment.
• Welcome cooperation and student involvement in educational planning.
• Share the vision of the school and actively work with others to accomplish curriculum and school goals.

Goal 3: Teacher candidates demonstrate a commitment to serve and lead in a Christian manner through their interactions with diverse populations of students, colleagues, and communities.

Professional Knowledge:

• Possess knowledge and recognize the importance of servant leadership in learning communities.
• Experience available opportunities for service and leadership.
• Understand the role of servant leadership in student advocacy and mentorship.

Professional Skills:

• Initiate opportunities to serve in diverse learning communities.
• Demonstrate the ability to lead within a learning community.
• Demonstrate the ability to integrate faith and learning within service and leadership opportunities with integrity.

Professional Dispositions:

• Model the value of Christian leadership and servant leadership.
• Promote opportunities of service in diverse learning communities.
• Maintain the highest professional standards of ethical behavior.

Goal 4: Facilitate their intellectual and personal growth.

Professional Knowledge:

• Understand and recognize differences in students who represent diversity (ethnic, racial, religious, sex, language, and exceptionalities).
• Understand culturally responsive teaching, and appropriate services and resources necessary to meet diverse learning needs.
• Understand diverse learners in relation to students with exceptionalities.

Professional Skills:

• Make appropriate adaptations (including technology resources) in instruction to meet the needs of all students.
• Collaborate effectively with members of the learning community to use appropriate services and resources that meet the needs of all students.
• Utilize differentiated methodologies and culturally responsive teaching to reach student learning outcomes.
• Make appropriate accommodations and modifications based on IEP/section 504 plans to meet learning goals and objectives for students with exceptionalities.

Professional Dispositions:

• Encourage all students to understand, question, and interpret ideas from diverse perspectives through curriculum development, adaptation, and assessment.
• Provide a caring, learning environment that is culturally sensitive and recognizes diversity.
• Develop empathy and extend comfort level as it relates to students with exceptionalities.

Goal 5: Teacher candidates demonstrate they are effective teachers, school counselors, and other school professionals by meeting the appropriate content standards.

Professional Knowledge:

• Possess content knowledge and recognizes the importance of integrated and media literacy.
• Know how to integrate content knowledge, technology, and pedagogy to facilitate student learning in relevant ways.
• Understand the structure of knowledge and organizing concepts in the content field.

Professional Skills:

• Devise appropriate learning activities (including technology) that engage students in uncovering the understanding of the content areas.
• Integrate literacy and thinking skills across and between content fields to enhance student learning.

Professional Dispositions:

• Value and promote education, life-long learning, reading and writing.
• Model the value of life-long education through enthusiasm, curiosity, questioning, and reflection