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Education Department

Teacher as Professional

The Alaska Pacific University curriculum identifies five concepts which require a broad range of knowledge and practice for development and which serve to characterize the graduates of this institution. The five concepts which form the basis of the curriculum are:

1. Pedagogy – Teachers must plan, structure and implement instruction and assess student learning in an increasingly effective manner enabling students to construct knowledge and to connect knowledge acquired at school with knowledge acquired at home and in the community.

2. Diversity – Teachers must be prepared to recognize, accept and teach to diversity, addressing both groups of students and individuals, recognizing different perspectives and voices that represent various groups and interests, and recognizing shared interests that create common purposes for individuals and groups.

3. Integrative Knowledge – Teachers must be prepared to teach central concepts, principles and processes of inquiry and structures of the discipline in ways that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students. Authentic assessments of student abilities, attitudes and understanding and evaluations to determine the strengths and needs for improvements of various educational programs and curricula are expected.

4. Professionalism – Teachers must be prepared to search for the meanings and consequences of their own knowledge and beliefs, of their teaching, of schooling; to seek out and engage in collaborative relationships – university, school, family, social and community agencies – in order to provide students with contextualized and experiential learning and to improve the professional expertise.

5. Technology – Teachers and other school personnel must be prepared to use educational technology to extend and enhance their ability to provide their students with varied experiences and powerful tools for learning, as well as preparing students for entry into a workforce that is becoming more technologically sophisticated.

Goals and objectives identified for teacher preparation address the State of Alaska Standards for Teachers and are framed into three categories, using the acronym APU:

Attitudes, Behaviors and Dispositions

The teacher:

• researches his/her own practice by reflecting critically, asking questions and seeking answers
• develops and describes his/her philosophy of education and demonstrates its impact in the teaching and learning process
• addresses the need of all students with respect for their individual and cultural characteristics
• encourages, creates and maintains a learning environment in which all students contribute and are actively engaged
• demonstrates the knowledge that teaching means continual participation in and contribution to the teaching profession and will risk engagement in change processes to further the improvement of the profession
• models life long learning and understands that professional growth is an important part of the life as a career teacher
• participates in personal wellness
• grounds him/herself in self-knowledge and self-acceptance that leads to the creation of open, trusting relationships and supports the value of diversity within an inclusive community
• exhibits responsible moral and ethical professional behavior

Participation and Skills

The teacher:

• understands teaching and learning theory and applies that knowledge to the instructional practice
• develops meaningful lessons that address the needs of students with respect to individual and cultural characteristics
• uses his/her understanding of context to plan, structure, facilitate, monitor and implement instruction in the context of continual assessment
• fosters, creates and maintains a learning environment where all students contribute and remain actively engaged

Understanding and Knowledge

The teacher:

• demonstrates an understanding of developmental and learning theories and applies that knowledge in the classroom
• understands the cultural characteristics and diversity of students in the context of their individual differences
• knows the subject matter and how to integrate, plan and teach instructional units in the context of practical experiences
• uses the knowledge gained from a strong liberal arts background to develop and implement curriculum that is varied and creative
• knows and uses the theories and research related to child development and the development of young adolescents to motivate and construct learning opportunities in support of individual student development, and his/her acquisition of knowledge