Preparation of elementary teachers.

PREFACE 

The quality of learning that elementary children experience is of strategic importance for both their future and that of the nation. Elementary teachers must be prepared with the knowledge, skills, values and techniques to interact successfully with children, parents, guardians, colleagues, administrators, social agencies and others who affect children's lives. Teachers must adapt to the interests, learning styles and needs of individual children in a complex, rapidly changing and culturally diverse society. Teaching is a changing process for which elementary teachers must be prepared.

Qualified teachers must be recognized as professionals in their field. The qualified elementary education teacher should be a graduate of an accredited teacher preparation program or be certified through an accredited alternate program that requires a bachelor's degree in addition to professional study.

TEACHER PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS

To teach successfully at the elementary level, preservice teachers need to study and have knowledge of the general curriculum taught at this level, as well as a strong foundation in education psychology and child development. They must have opportunities to study, examine and implement professionally justifiable learning practices in culturally and linguistically diverse settings through clinical and field experiences. Thus, teacher preparation programs should include the following areas:

General Education

Teacher preparation programs must have a broad foundation in the sciences, humanities (including the fine arts) and social sciences, with advanced study in at least one specialty area, in order to be able to optimally expand children's ability to grow and develop in all areas. These broad preparation experiences should develop in preservice elementary teachers:

* The ability to comprehend, analyze, synthesize and evaluate a wide range of published materials

* The ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, both orally and in writing

* The ability to reflect on information and experience

* A knowledge of and appreciation for literature

* An understanding of how positive health behaviors affect the quality of life

* An understanding of and confidence in their own ability to perform mathematical tasks

* An understanding of life, physical and earth sciences

* An awareness of social, historical and political forces that affect people's lives

* An understanding of and appreciation for similarities and differences among societies and cultural groups

* A knowledge of and appreciation for the visual and performing arts

* An understanding of and skill in using technology/media.

Foundations of Elementary Education

Teacher preparation programs should design experiences that help preservice elementary teachers understand the historical, philosophical, psychological, cultural and social foundations of elementary education. This preparation should enable preservice teachers to develop their own philosophy, techniques and approaches to the teaching/learning process that are consistent with acceptable education theories and practices and that will enable children in their classrooms to have optimal learning experiences. Preparation experiences for preservice teachers should include opportunities to observe and interact in dynamic programs in a variety of school settings.

Child Development

Teacher preparation programs should be firmly grounded in principles of child development. Through experiences with children of different ages, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and exceptionalities, preservice elementary teachers should learn how to provide optimal learning experiences that will support children's intellectual, emotional, social, physical and aesthetic development. Teachers should study children in a variety of situations to understand better the meaning and degree of variation and exceptionality among individuals. Techniques for observing and recording such behavior need to be developed in accordance with research and theory.

The Learning/Teaching Process

Preservice elementary teachers should be familiar with current research findings on the teaching/learning process and be able to apply these findings in the classroom. They should realize that the knowledge base of teaching/learning is constantly changing and that as members of the teaching profession they must keep abreast of changing theories and practices, and view the teacher's role as one of a lifelong learner. They must also understand that, as reflective practitioners, they have a responsibility to study, use and identify a variety of developmentally appropriate activities that demonstrate different approaches to knowledge construction and application in all disciplines taught at the elementary level. They must also have experiences with assessment that will enable them to select methods of assessment appropriate to each of the disciplines and to the age, development and characteristics of children; interpret and communicate results accurately and ethically; and integrate information gained from assessment into instructional plans.

Curriculum and Instructional Strategies

Preservice elementary teachers must be generalists, with study and experiences in all areas of the curriculum. They should be prepared to organize and implement a variety of proven instructional strategies in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, health, physical education and the visual and performing arts in the manner that meets individual and developmental learning differences. Preservice teachers must be exposed to the role of the teacher within the dynamics of curriculum change and improvement and be prepared to collaborate with other professionals in this important task.

Clinical/Field Experiences

Teacher preparation programs for preservice elementary teachers should provide carefully administered, sequenced and supervised clinical/field experiences in all areas of the elementary curriculum. Preservice teachers should have gradually increased responsibilities in the classroom. They should be provided with opportunities to work with children at various grade levels, with a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds, and with different capabilities, including mainstreamed or included special education children, and in activities that link course content to practice. They should be expected to critically select and use appropriate materials, resources (including persons in the community) and technology, and to have experiences with classroom management and a variety of evaluation techniques (including authentic assessment). Collaboration with other professionals in the school setting should be encouraged in order to develop team building skills and utilization of all resources to enhance children's learning. Opportunities to be coached and to coach should be provided. They should have the opportunity to interact with parents and to develop skills for communicating with parents.

Throughout the program, preservice elementary teachers need opportunities to reflectively analyze their own practice as well as receive direct input from university personnel and practitioners. By the completion of their program, they will have developed a philosophy of teaching and acquired skills that will continue to evolve as they continue to acquire new knowledge and experiences.