Abstract:

This session focuses on innovations in teacher preparation programs and practices at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with both pre-service and in-service teachers. The goal of our efforts is to prepare educators to effectively reach and teach all of their Kindergarten-grade 12 students in our increasingly diverse and globalized world, while promoting high levels of school engagement and multiple literacies (critical, linguistic, technological, mathematical etc.). Participants will learn about several reform efforts across each of three areas of university teacher preparation programs: program structure and course development, curriculum content, and classroom practices and pedagogy. Our work is in response to the realities of schools in the U.S., where often there is a disconnect between the background and experiences of teachers and those of the students, which often results in low levels of efficacy if teachers are underprepared. Teachers who are underprepared often leave the profession in the first few years of teaching and ultimately contribute to the underachievement of students, where particular groups of students persistently underachieve. Our work attempts to break this cycle by offering teachers programmatic, curricular and pedagogical opportunities to learn about themselves, as well “the other” and to know their students and respond to their social-emotional and academic needs. Authors share lessons learned from innovations at all three levels, as well as recommendations and resources.