Teacher Education Program Goals

Knowledge of subject matter and pedagogy
Teacher education candidates will be knowledgeable about subject matter and adept at teaching it. Content and pedagogical knowledge includes:

• subject matter knowledge developed through completion of an appropriate undergraduate major or its equivalent, with breadth of coverage in the discipline(s) to be taught
• teaching strategies based on current learning theories that are culturally and linguistically appropriate
• interdisciplinary approaches to learning
• authentic classroom assessments
• pedagogical content knowledge which uses best examples of content to facilitate teaching
• instructional management strategies
• Colorado Model Content Standards for K-12 students and the Performance-Based Standards for Colorado Teachers

Candidates will connect and apply theories and methods learned in their course work to classroom practice through a series of carefully planned and mediated field placements that begins in the first semester of education course work.

Education of students in a diverse society
Teacher education candidates will learn to incorporate multicultural and diverse perspectives and practices into their own teaching and learning. They will be able to organize classroom instruction to meet the needs of a variety of learners, including linguistically different, ethnically diverse, and exceptional students. This goal is accomplished by:

• placing candidates in community and school sites with diverse populations
• providing instruction in multicultural and second language approaches to teaching and learning
• providing instruction in legal issues and classroom strategies designed to serve special needs children in the regular classroom

Professional obligations and dispositions of teachers in a democracy
In order to develop K-12 students’ competence as citizens, workers, and family members in a democratic society, teacher education candidates need to understand the contexts that contribute to and detract from equality and democratic participation in schools. This learning will be reinforced through class readings, discussions, and examination of school and community settings. Candidates will also be knowledgeable about the ethical and legal obligations of teachers.

Candidates are required to adopt reflective, critical stances about their own and others’ classroom practices and about the broader educational and social issues that impact schools. Teacher education candidates will be exposed to different educational traditions and urged to reflect on those traditions. The programs foster critical evaluation of the application of theory and research to practice and professional inquiry and encourage debate among candidates and faculty.

In addition, teacher education candidates will collaborate with peers and colleagues to develop a sense of their roles and identities in the professional community. The programs will support the development of communication and human relations skills and peer and professional collaboration through course work, candidate and faculty interaction, and field experiences.