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The Department of Teacher Education prepares Urban Professional Multicultural Educators through an integrated program of courses and field experiences. Programs offered are designed for the preparation of future educators. The programs of study center around our commitment to excellence in teaching in today’s diverse society through the investigation of significant educational issues, inquiry into student learning and effective teaching practices, and the use of technology in teaching and learning. We engage teacher candidates in critical reflection upon their practice throughout the program. We foster engagement in schools through our Partnership Schools and other school and agency affiliations. Upon completion of the program, teacher candidates measure themselves against the values of our guiding conceptual framework through the completion of professional portfolios. Values that are part of this framework include: commitment to social justice, critical pedagogy, and positive educational transformation within the context of a Vincentian personalism that honors the dignity of each person.

The program includes four distinctive features: 1) Becoming a teacher is viewed as a developmental process continuing at least through the first year of teaching; 2) Multiculturalism is infused throughout the curriculum; 3) Field experiences are an integral part of the curriculum; 4) Students are exposed to a variety of educational theories.

The program in elementary education prepares students to teach children in a variety of educational settings, including urban and suburban communities and public and private elementary schools. Students follow a suggested course of study with corresponding field experiences. Graduates earn the Master of Arts or Master of Education degree and are qualified for elementary school teacher licensure. Yet, not all graduates follow a career in teaching. A number of DePaul graduates in elementary education work in diverse settings such as museums, corporations, media and the arts.

Students entering the program must be able and willing to devote themselves to a program requiring a minimum of 106 hours of daytime field experiences in schools. These school-based clinical experiences are completed in conjunction with methodology courses that require students to spend regular periods of time in schools. In addition, the student must spend a minimum of 10 weeks in full-time student teaching.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Plan instruction that supports students in meeting rigorous learning goals, drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, and pedagogy.
• Demonstrate a variety of instructional strategies as they support learners in developing a deep understanding of content areas and their connections, as well as building skills needed to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
• Apply their understanding of multiple purposes for and methods of assessment in order to monitor and evaluate student progress, make decisions regarding instructional practices, and guide students in reflecting upon their progress toward learning targets.
• Use the central concepts, standards, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach to create meaningful learning experiences based upon evidence-based practices that ensure mastery of content.
• Demonstrate an interest in ongoing professional learning, use evidence to evaluate practice, advocate for students, and exhibit professionalism and ethical behavior in all interactions.