Expanding Mindfulness Practice Creates Benefits from Classrooms to School Systems

By Audrey Breen

This article was originally published by UVAToday.

Most modern school systems are actually designs from the last century. A UVA professor is researching applying classroom mindfulness techniques to bring them into the present. (Illustration by Emily Faith Morgan, University Communications.)

What’s good for a classroom may be good for an entire school system.

For 20 years, Patricia Jennings, a professor of education at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development, has worked to apply mindfulness practices and compassion to help teachers create a more emotionally supportive learning environment in the classroom, a sometimes high-stress space that is both cognitively and emotionally demanding.

Now she is also considering how mindfulness can extend beyond classrooms and play a role in re-envisioning and modernizing entire education systems.

The Teacher Educators’ Journal: Call for Manuscripts

By Kristien Zenkov

The Teacher Educators’ Journal (TTEJ) is published by the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE), a state unit of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). The journal aims to stimulate discussion and reflection about issues related to teacher education; authors need not be based and research need not be conducted in Virginia for manuscripts to be considered for publication. Manuscripts submitted for consideration may be research/empirical reports and analyses, position papers, book reviews, or conceptual essays.

AACTE Partners with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards®

By Nicole Dunn

Opportunities to observe and analyze a variety of educators employing evidenced-based practices is a critical component of quality educator preparation. Those opportunities are made even more valuable when they include insights into behind-the-scenes instructional decision making.  That is why AACTE is excited to announce a new partnership with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, Inc. (‘NBPTS’ or ‘The National Board’) to offer individual and institutional access to ATLAS (Accomplished Teaching, Learning and Schools) at a reduced cost for new subscribers. ATLAS is a video library that provides video cases and analysis tools of accomplished teaching practices indexed to common teaching and learning frameworks across various classroom settings.  

AACTE has already provided webinar resources (Part 1 and Part 2) on how to use ATLAS as a tool and framework for using video resources in teacher preparation, and now AACTE is excited to offer you this tool at a reduced cost for those who register for a new subscription before the end of the year! AACTE members who sign up for a new ATLAS subscription before the end of 2023 will receive a 20% discount on institutional or individual subscriptions. Both institutional and individual subscription options are available for both one- and three-year terms, and those selecting a three-year term will be eligible for the 20% discount.

A New Feature of Teacher Prep Programs? Compensating Future Educators for Their Time

By Emily Tate Sullivan

A student is honored at the May 2023 graduation reception for the Dallas College School of Education.

This article was originally published by EdSurge. 

The request came from the students.

Those who were enrolled in — or considering enrolling in — American University’s School of Education said they wanted more classroom experience and more opportunities to practice their craft before being released to do it alone every day to a room full of kids.

Wish granted. Today, and for the last year or so, aspiring educators at American University are required to spend a minimum of 40 hours tutoring students in Washington, D.C. public schools, in addition to completing the long-standing requirement of student teaching for a semester.

“We see now, as students are entering student teaching with this additional experience tutoring, how much stronger they are and how much more prepared they are,” says Ocheze Joseph, director of undergraduate teacher education at the university. “They’re more comfortable in the classroom, more familiar.”

And these students aren’t just getting relevant teaching experience. They’re also getting paid.

STEM, Early Childhood Programs Expand with New Route to Teacher Certification

By Beth Goins

UNCC College of Education Receives $23M Grant to Support Literacy Education

By UNC Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Cato College of Education, a leader in literacy instruction and research, has been selected by the Mebane Foundation to help continue its legacy of supporting innovation in literacy education in North Carolina and beyond through a five-year grant and potential endowment of up to $23 million. 

The decision follows a competitive statewide search to identify a partner to continue to carry on founder Allen Mebane’s commitment to support inventive educational endeavors as the foundation winds down operations over the next decade.

UH College of Education Professor Selected as 2023 Obama Foundation Global Leader

By Jennifer L Parks

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education (COE) Professor of Mathematics Education Linda Furuto has been selected as one of 105 Obama Foundation Global Leaders. The program trains participants around the world in leadership development and civic engagement to help build their skills and scale their work across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Furuto will be among just 34 leaders participating in the Asia-Pacific program, representing a cohort of 22 countries/territories across the region.

“I can’t think of anyone more qualified than Linda to represent the COE as an Obama Leader,” Department of Curriculum Studies Chair Patricia Espiritu Halagao said. “Her cutting-edge work with ethnomathematics and involvement as the UH Ambassador to the PVS Moananuiākea Voyage will greatly contribute to better understanding how education can serve our global communities. And, above all, she exudes the values of a humble, caring, and committed servant leader.”

Incorporating Diversity into the Elementary Curriculum: Suggested Teaching Strategies

By Taraneh M. Haghanikar

This blog article is part of the Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Development Series, sponsored by the Longview Foundation. The writing series aims to elevate the perspectives of international scholars — including teacher educators, graduate students, and alike — to offer insights into how Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) can integrate intercultural understanding within their programs. AACTE members interested in participating in the series should contact AACTE’s Brooke Evans.

Incorporating diversity into the curriculum has never been more relevant or necessary.

Culturally competent teaching begins with acknowledging and embracing the considerable diversity students bring to the classroom and it builds on the culturally relevant literature utilized in teaching. However, teachers with minimum or no prior diversity experience are less likely to make informed decisions in their book selection. Failure to properly design inclusive lesson plans could create and maintain misunderstanding between teachers and students, further contributing to the cultural gap between them.

Oklahoma Math Teacher Named 2023 National Teacher of the Year

By Carolyn Phenicie

AACTE is a proud member of the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee and applauds 2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson’s commitment to the profession and meeting the needs of all students.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced that Rebecka Peterson, a high school math teacher, is the 2023 National Teacher of the Year.

Peterson has taught high school math classes ranging from intermediate algebra to Advanced Placement calculus for 11 years at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A proud immigrant of Swedish-Iranian descent, Peterson is passionate about making mathematics engaging, relevant and accessible to all students, no matter their background.

Diversifying Teachers and Teacher Educators: A U.S. Imperative

By Alice Ginsberg, Marybeth Gasman and Andrés Castro Samayoa

While the majority of U.S. K-12 students are children of color, only 20% of teachers are people of color — and 40% of the nation’s public schools do not have a single teacher of color on record. Despite a now decades old, nationwide effort to diversify the teaching profession, there is obviously still much work to be done. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) hold great promise towards the goal of bringing more teachers of color to the profession. They also provide teacher candidates opportunities to do their student teaching in schools and communities that are racially diverse. Of importance, these teacher candidates share a common interest in remaining in multicultural and high-needs schools after getting certified.

A related, but significantly less prominent issue, concerns the diversity of teacher educators. Across higher education, 75% of professors are White and teacher educators are over 76% White, demonstrating that many teacher candidates will not have a single professor of color as they make the transition through their teacher preparation programs. This challenge has huge ramifications for what happens in teacher education programs, including how candidates are recruited, how the curriculum is designed, and how urgently a program works to address critical issues of race and equity. Moreover, as Galman, Pica-Smith, and Rosenberger note: “It’s important that teacher educators have examined their own  implicit biases before asking preservice teachers to engage with [them].”

Register Today: Educator Prep Recruitment and Support for International Students

By Brooke Evans

Educators play a crucial role in how students are welcomed both into the classroom and within their communities — and understanding how to integrate international, intercultural, and global experiences and perspectives into the curriculum of teacher education is vital in a globally connected and diverse world.

As part of the first webinar in the Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Development Series, AACTE members are invited to join a panel of faculty experts and international scholars as they discuss educator prep program recruitment and support for international students on April 17. Save your spot and register today.

UW–Madison Receives $5M Gift to Extend Innovative Teacher Pledge Program

By Todd Finkelmeyer

This article was originally published by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education.

As the nationwide teacher shortage continues to generate headlines, stress education leaders, and frustrate policymakers in search of answers, the UW–Madison School of Education is announcing the extension of an innovative program aimed at addressing the problem in Wisconsin.

The UW–Madison School of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge program first started supporting students in the fall of 2020 and is dedicated to bolstering Wisconsin’s teacher workforce. This donor-funded initiative pays the equivalent of in-state tuition and fees, testing, and licensing costs for students enrolled in one of the School’s teacher preparation programs. In return, graduates “pledge” to teach for three or four years at a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school in Wisconsin.

Renowned Teacher Educators To Discuss ‘Transforming Education’

Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Gloria Ladson-Billings will share their perspectives on navigating K-12 education.

By Ruben Hidalgo

Texas A&M University’s School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) will host a meeting of two renowned and respected minds in teacher education with a combined 90+ years of experience.

Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Gloria Ladson-Billings, both National Academy of Education members, will share their perspectives on navigating K-12 education in a conversation moderated by SEHD professor Cheryl Craig.

New AACTE TAG Strengthens Evidence-Based Practices in Comprehensive Mental Health

By Kari Vogelgesang

Are you interested in advocating and bolstering social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health (SEBMH) content and practice in your teacher education program? As the director of professional development for the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health at the University of Iowa, I invite teacher education professionals to join AACTE’s newly-formed SEBMH Topical Action Group (TAG).

Your Voice Matters: Help Strengthen the Special Educator Workforce

By Kaitlyn Brennan

This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

It was a busy week in Washington, and we are slated for another one ahead. This coming week, House Republicans are expected to begin consideration on the Parent Bill of Rights Legislation, H.R. 5. It is anticipated that discussions will begin on Thursday with the final vote slated for Friday. Members introduced several amendments to the bill last week — it remains to be seen if House Rules Committee will now allow floor votes on those amendments.