Department values
The Teacher Education department's programs are informed by five values.
Pedagogical sensitivity
The Teacher Education department supports a pupil-centered view of teaching. Educators must develop an understanding of the primacy of the pupil-teacher relationship and its ethical underpinning while honouring and respecting the needs of each pupil. Educators must have the knowledge, skill, and confidence to adapt and develop curriculum to meet the specific needs of the pupil.
Reflective practice
The Teacher Education department believes that educators must engage in reflective practice, the ability to reflect in a thoughtful way on the significance of different teaching situations and on their role in defining a learning environment. Educators must demonstrate self-knowledge by openly identifying personal biases and projections. Reflective practice, guided by the principles of self-evaluation and self-directed learning, is considered the foundation of continuous professional growth.
Critical mindedness
The Teacher Education department believes that educators must understand the complexity, subtlety, and difficulty of contemporary educational questions and issues. In an attempt to solve problems, educators must show a high degree of flexibility in comparing various perspectives and alternative solutions.
Social justice
The Teacher Education department believes that educators must be open to and respectful of diversity and difference. Educators require the ability to see beyond their own ways of defining the world and to be advocates of social justice and the inclusive classroom. A high value is placed on the ethical responsibilities of educators.
Integration of knowledge and practice
The Teacher Education department supports the seamless connection between knowledge (academic disciplines), educational theory, and practice (methods for achieving educational ends). Educators must constantly engage in the recursive interplay of knowledge, educational theory and practice throughout their professional lives.
Bachelor of Education goals
The Bachelor of Education program goals are developed out of the five department values and are competencies to be demonstrated by an effective teacher upon completion of the program. The fourteen goals are organized into three key areas and sequenced in a developmental progression.
Demonstrating a strong, professional, teacher presence
- Professional
- Strong connection with students
- Classroom management
- Reflective practitioner
- Working with feedback
- Clear and observable vision
Demonstrating knowledge and skills related to teaching
- Knowledge of students
- Knowledge of content
- Effective communication with students
- Effective teaching practices
- Valid and reliable assessment practices
- Inclusive and individualized teaching
Becoming a positive member of the school and the community
- Working respectfully with parents
- Contributing to school culture and community
The Bachelor of Education’s program goals are complex and in alignment with the standards of professional practice for teachers in B.C. We, as a department, are committed to the program goals and uphold these standards of practice in coursework, school practica, and our daily lives. Further details on the program goals, including examples of observable actions related to each goal, can be found in our BEd Handbook 2020-2021.
