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Advanced Preparation. According to NCATE, advanced preparation refers to programs at the postbaccalaureate levels for (1) the continuing education of teachers who have previously completed initial preparation or (2) the preparation of other professional school personnel.
All Students. According to NCATE, all students include students in grades P-12 with differences based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographical area.
Candidates. According to NCATE, candidates are individuals admitted to, or enrolled in, programs for the initial or advanced preparation of teachers, teachers continuing their professional development, or other professional school personnel. Candidates are distinguished from “students” in P–12 schools.
Collaboration. In the context of “The Transforming Practitioner,” collaboration refers to positive interaction with both the internal and external community. Collaboration is evidenced through engagement with fellow candidates, students, faculty, school-based educators, parents, and the community.
Dispositions. According to NCATE, dispositions are the values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities and affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth. Dispositions are guided by beliefs and attitudes related to values such as caring, fairness, honesty, responsibility, and social justice. For example, they might include a belief that all students can learn, a vision of high and challenging standards, or a commitment to a safe and supportive learning environment.
Diversity. According to NCATE, diversity refers to differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographical area.
Engagement. In the context of “The Transforming Practitioner,” engagement refers to active involvement that promotes in learners the processes of critical thinking, problem solving, inquisitiveness, development of character, and ownership of learning.
Initial Teacher Preparation. According to NCATE, initial teacher preparation refers to programs at baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate levels that prepare candidates for the first license to teach.
Practicing. In the context of “The Transforming Practitioner,” practicing refers to planning, teaching, and assessing in manners that ensure successful learning experiences for all students.
Reflecting. In the context of “The Transforming Practitioner,” reflecting refers to deep and meaningful thinking that causes teachers and educational leaders to enhance their levels of understanding and to make substantive as well as subtle changes in their practice.
Rubrics. According to NCATE, rubrics are written and shared criteria for judging performance that indicate the qualities by which levels of performance can be differentiated, and that anchor judgments about the degree of success on a candidate assessment.
The Transformational Leader. Consistent with Mercer University’s Conceptual Framework of “The Transforming Practitioner,” “The Transformational Leader” is an educational leader who contributes to the transformation in his/her faculty and students and thus is successful in bringing about enduring changes in a school’s disposition and character.
The Transforming Practitioner. “The Transforming Practitioner,” a living link in the educational process, is an educator who in changing internally through understanding, practicing, and reflecting such that, individually and collaboratively, he or she implements for all learners appropriate and significant life-changing experiences that effectively provide for the needs of the individual, actively engage students in the learning process, and promote life-long learning.
Understanding. In the context of “The Transforming Practitioner,” understanding refers to the possession of deep knowledge of the foundations of education, content, pedagogy, and characteristics of learners, as well as openness to expanding such knowledge through continual learning and professional development. Understanding serves as a basis for becoming a Transforming Practitioner and provides the impetus for planning for and engaging students in transformational learning experiences. |