Stevenson University

Career Architecture & Elementary Education

How will you use Career Architecture as an Elementary Education major at SU? Here are some suggestions from our Elementary Education faculty:

SELF-DISCOVERY

• Understand how children learn and develop, and provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development
• Develop awareness and sensitivity to issues that impact on learning in multicultural populations
• Examine significant issues in education and their impact on students, parents, and the community
• Assess personal values and integrity through discussion, self-examination, and personal performance
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively as a member of the professional educational community
• identify and develop strategies for successfully solving interpersonal conflicts in a professional situation

CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATIONS

• Interact with students, colleagues, supervisors, and other school-based personnel effectively
• Assist small groups of students
• Describe key features of various teaching models
• Provide, receive, and analyze constructive feedback
• Practice professional behaviors appropriate for school and classroom settings
• Identify features of curriculum at specific grade levels that acknowledge various stages of cognitive growth
• Recognize the unique characteristics of students in a diverse classroom population
• Use effective questioning techniques, cooperative learning strategies, and other active learning practices
• Design lessons including essential elements for effective learning
• Use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom
• Critique self and others for constructive outcomes, and practice decision-making skills based on observation and input
• Demonstrate professional behavior in the school field experience placement
• Plan and implement effective learning experiences for students
• Observe classroom routines, learn children’s names, and become familiar with texts and curriculum guides
• Carry out routines such as lining up the children, leading them in the hallways, taking lunch count and roll
• Observe school’s social system as reflected in field experience classrooms
• Understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills
• Develop and present lessons during field placements
• Analyze instruction through self-analysis checklists and peer coaching experiences
• Participate in professional observations and critiques by supervising teachers, college supervisors and peers
• Participate in weekly seminars to explore the elements of effective teaching, academic expectations for the educator and person/professional expectations in educations
• Integrate culturally diverse resources and incorporate a multicultural approach toward instruction
• Demonstrate an understanding that schools and classrooms are sites of ethical, social, and civic activity
• Demonstrate an awareness of the current trends in education
• Develop and apply a working educational vocabulary
• Complete a field experience in schools and complete a video analysis of teaching
• Complete journaling and reflective writing assignments
• Conference with supervising teachers
• Complete peer coaching activity

CAREER EXPLORATION

• Design learning centers, games, etc., for classroom use
• Develop observational skills regarding routines and responsibilities of teachers, instructional techniques and activities, student behavior, classroom management techniques, and classroom materials
• Use appropriate techniques for observing and providing feedback to students and peer teacher candidates
• Make appropriate instructional decisions based on feedback from field classroom, videotaping and peer coaching
• Understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners
• Use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self-motivation
• Demonstrate effective human relations skills with the professional team, children and college peers
• Understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of students
• Foster relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well-being
• Evaluate computer software for children in the classroom and professional educators
• Develop a classroom management plan, implement the strategies, and reflect on its effectiveness
• Demonstrate the ability to assess the needs of individual students; plan and implement instruction to enhance the child’s learning experience
• Apply valid and age appropriate formative and summative assessments to measure curriculum outcomes and lesson objectives
• Engage in careful analysis, problem solving, and reflection in all aspects of teaching

CAREER PREPARATION

• Review your professional development plan and demonstrate significant progress towards achieving goals
• Pass appropriate Praxis exams
• Complete professional resume
• Create a Portfolio-A-A-Glance
• Complete an action research project

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