Program Philosophy
Like a tapestry, our program is made up of many strands. An inspiring teacher weaves many great ideas into a successful integrated classroom. Developmentally appropriate teaching, thematically focused pedagogy, integrated curricula, and placed-based learning are the heart of our program. We develop teachers who can:
- design, plan, evaluate, and manage time and space structures in the classroom
- develop criteria for evaluating a child's level of personal development, considering factors of emotional expression, manipulation of materials, language and physical development
- clarify the behavior expected of children in a variety of settings, be able to elicit the expected behavior, and demonstrate ability to manage a group of children
- explore the child's view of the world by considering personal memories and practicing observation
- analyze the appropriateness of classroom materials for children of different developmental levels
- demonstrate a familiarity with the variety of approaches to the teaching of reading and writing language in the primary school and plan activities appropriate to specific age levels
- design activities that elicit quantitative involvement from children, plan a mathematics component appropriate to a specific age group, and demonstrate general understanding of mathematical concepts taught in the elementary school
- survey children's literature and develop criteria for evaluating stories for individuals and groups at various stages of development
- implement science and social studies curricula that are consistent with children's interests and curriculum guidelines
- design thematic curriculum that is aligned with state curriculum frameworks and assessment programs
- seek an appropriate balance between child-centered and curriculum-centered approaches to teaching