ACEI
POSITION
PAPER
Preparation of Elementary Teachers
BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL
PREFACE
The quality of learning that elementary children experience is of
strategic importance for both their future and that of the nation.
Elementary teachers must be prepared with the knowledge, skills,
values and techniques to interact successfully with children,
parents, guardians, colleagues, administrators, social agencies and
others who affect children's lives. Teachers must adapt to the
interests, learning styles and needs of individual children in a
complex, rapidly changing and culturally diverse society.
Teaching is a changing process for which elementary teachers
must be prepared.
Qualified teachers must be recognized as professionals in their field.
The qualified elementary education teacher should be a graduate of an
accredited teacher preparation program or be certified through an
accredited alternate program that requires a bachelor's degree in
addition to professional study.
TEACHER PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS
To teach successfully at the elementary level, preservice teachers need to study and
have knowledge of the general curriculum taught at this level, as well as a strong
foundation in education psychology and child development. They must have
opportunities to study, examine and implement professionally justifiable learning
practices in culturally and linguistically diverse settings through clinical and field
experiences. Thus, teacher preparation programs should include the following
areas:
General Education
Teacher preparation programs must have a broad foundation in the sciences,
humanities (including the fine arts) and social sciences, with advanced study in at
least one specialty area, in order to be able to optimally expand children's ability to
grow and develop in all areas. These broad preparation experiences should develop
in preservice elementary teachers:
- The ability to comprehend, analyze, synthesize and
evaluate a wide range of published materials
- The ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, both orally and in
writing
- The ability to reflect on information and experience
- A knowledge of and appreciation for literature
- An understanding of how positive health behaviors affect the quality of life
- An understanding of and confidence in their own ability to perform mathematical tasks
- An understanding of life, physical and earth sciences
- An awareness of social, historical and political forces that affect people's lives
- An understanding of and appreciation for similarities and differences among
societies and cultural groups
- A knowledge of and appreciation for the visual and performing arts
- An understanding of and skill in using technology/media.
Foundations of Elementary Education
Teacher preparation programs should design experiences that help preservice elementary
teachers understand the historical, philosophical, psychological, cultural and social foundations
of elementary education. This preparation should enable preservice teachers to develop their
own philosophy, techniques and approaches to the teaching/learning process that are consistent
with acceptable education theories and practices and that will enable children in their classrooms
to have optimal learning experiences. Preparation experiences for preservice teachers should
include opportunities to observe and interact in dynamic programs in a variety of school settings.
Child Development
Teacher preparation programs should be firmly grounded in principles of child
development. Through experiences with children of different ages, cultural and
linguistic backgrounds, and exceptionalities, preservice elementary teachers should
learn how to provide optimal learning experiences that will support children's
intellectual, emotional, social, physical and aesthetic development. Teachers should
study children in a variety of situations to understand better the meaning and
degree of variation and exceptionality among individuals. Techniques for
observing and recording such behavior need to be developed in accordance with
research and theory.
The Learning/Teaching Process
Preservice elementary teachers should be familiar with current research findings on the
teaching/learning process and be able to apply these findings in the classroom. They should
realize that the knowledge base of teaching/learning is constantly changing and that as members
of the teaching profession they must keep abreast of changing theories and practices, and view
the teacher's role as one of a lifelong learner. They must also understand that, as reflective
practitioners, they have a responsibility to study, use and identify a variety of developmentally
appropriate activities that demonstrate different approaches to knowledge construction and
application in all disciplines taught at the elementary level. They must also have
experiences with assessment that will enable them to select methods of assessment
appropriate to each of the disciplines and to the age, development and characteristics of
children; interpret and communicate results accurately and ethically; and integrate information
gained from assessment into instructional plans.
Curriculum and Instructional Strategies
Preservice elementary teachers must be generalists, with study and experiences in all areas of the
curriculum. They should be prepared to organize and implement a variety of proven
instructional strategies in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, health, physical
education and the visual and performing arts in the manner that meets individual and
developmental learning differences. Preservice teachers must be exposed to the role of the
teacher within the dynamics of curriculum change and improvement and be prepared to
collaborate with other professionals in this important task.
Clinical/Field Experiences
Teacher preparation programs for preservice elementary teachers should provide carefully
administered, sequenced and supervised clinical/field experiences in all areas of the elementary
curriculum. Preservice teachers should have gradually increased responsibilities in the
classroom. They should be provided with opportunities to work with children at various grade
levels, with a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds, and with different
capabilities, including mainstreamed or included special education children, and in
activities that link course content to practice. They should be expected to critically select
and use appropriate materials, resources (including persons in the community) and technology,
and to have experiences with classroom management and a variety of evaluation techniques
(including authentic assessment). Collaboration with other professionals in the school setting
should be encouraged in order to develop team building skills and utilization of all resources to
enhance children's learning. Opportunities to be coached and to coach should be provided. They
should have the opportunity to interact with parents and to develop skills for communicating
with parents.
Throughout the program, preservice elementary teachers need opportunities to
reflectively analyze their own practice as well as receive direct input from
university personnel and practitioners. By the completion of their program, they
will have developed a philosophy of teaching and acquired skills that will continue
to evolve as they continue to acquire new knowledge and experiences.
The Association for Childhood Education International would like to thank Nancy Quisenberry and the
Teacher
Education Committee for their efforts in preparing this document.
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