Early Childhood Education

The key elements of the Lake Superior State University Teacher Education Program include:

• An extended and supportive teaching internship (student teaching).
• Incorporation of the State of Michigan’s Seven Professional Standards for Teaching and Learning throughout the Teacher Education program: higher-order thinking, deep-knowledge, substantive conversation and connections to the world beyond the classroom.
  • An understanding and appreciation of the liberal arts (the humanities, the social sciences, the mathematical and natural sciences, and the arts):
  • A commitment to student learning and achievement
  • Knowledge of subject matter and pedagogy
  • The ability to manage and monitor student learning, based on best practice
  • The ability to systematically organize teaching practices and learn from experiences
  • Commitment and willingness to participate in learning communities
  • An ability to use information age learning and technology operations and concepts to enhance personal/professional productivity
• A teacher-preparation program that addresses teaching for higher levels of understanding. The program provides teacher-candidates with opportunities to gain the critical knowledge and skills needed to effectively meet the educational needs of all children. The knowledge and skills include:
  • A thorough knowledge of the subjects they will teach.
  • An understanding of social and cultural contexts in which students live and learn and how this affects teaching and learning.
  • The skills for enhancing pupil literacy across the curriculum.
  • The ability to use situated-learning techniques, and to plan and execute interdisciplinary units.
  • The ability to develop student literacy skills across the curriculum.
• The practical skills needed to manage the complexities of teaching for understanding. These skills include:
  • Building learning communities and other classroom environments which are conducive to learning.
  • Creating positive, productive classroom expectations.
  • Showing sensitivity to the needs of diverse learners and learning styles and knowing how to adapt instructional materials appropriately.
  • Developing facility in planning instructional episodes.
  • Employing specific methods appropriate to particular content areas.
• Employing methods for student assessment, which include evaluation of the ongoing development of higher-order thinking skills and deep knowledge.
• Knowledge of the specific examples, instructional designs, and methods of analysis, which can help teacher candidates promote pupil understanding.