The Waldorf College Education Program has adopted InTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) Model Core Teaching Standards & Learning Progressions for Teachers. The Education Program also endeavors to incorporate the CEC’s (The Council for Exceptional Children) worldwide mission to improve educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities. Graduates of Waldorf College’s Teacher Education Program will demonstrate the following:
Standard #1: Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
1(b) The teacher creates developmentally appropriate instruction that takes into account individual learners’ strengths, interests, and needs and that enables each learner to advance and accelerate his/her learning. (Performances)
1(e) The teacher understands that each learner’s cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development influences learning and knows how to make instructional decisions that build on learners’ strengths and needs. (Essential Knowledge)
1(h) The teacher respects learners’ differing strengths and needs and is committed to using this information to further each learner’s development. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
2(a) The teacher designs, adapts, and delivers instruction to address each student’s diverse learning strengths and needs and creates opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in different ways. (Performances)
2(j) The teacher understands that learners bring assets for learning based on their individual experiences, abilities, talents, prior learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as language, culture, family, and community values. (Essential Knowledge)
2(l) The teacher believes that all learners can achieve at high levels and persists in helping each learner reach his/her full potential. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #3: Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry. (Performances)
3(i) The teacher understands the relationship between motivation and engagement and knows how to design learning experiences using strategies that build learner self-direction and ownership of learning. (Essential Knowledge)
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #4: Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
4(b) The teacher engages students in learning experiences in the discipline(s) that encourage learners to understand, question, and analyze ideas from diverse perspectives so that they master the content. (Performances)
4(j) The teacher understands major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the discipline(s) s/he teaches. (Essential Knowledge)
4(o) The teacher realizes that content knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex, culturally situated, and ever evolving. S/he keeps abreast of new ideas and understandings in the field. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #5: Application of Content. The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
5(a) The teacher develops and implements projects that guide learners in analyzing the complexities of an issue or question using perspectives from varied disciplines and cross-disciplinary skills (e.g., a water quality study that draws upon biology and chemistry to look at factual information and social studies to examine policy implications). (Performances)
5(i) The teacher understands the ways of knowing in his/her discipline, how it relates to other disciplinary approaches to inquiry, and the strengths and limitations of each approach in addressing problems, issues, and concerns. (Essential Knowledge)
5(s) The teacher values flexible learning environments that encourage learner exploration, discovery, and expression across content areas. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
6(a) The teacher balances the use of formative and summative assessment as appropriate to support, verify, and document learning. (Performances)
6(j) The teacher understands the differences between formative and summative applications of assessment and knows how and when to use each. (Essential Knowledge)
6(v) The teacher is committed to the ethical use of various assessments and assessment data to identify learner strengths and needs to promote learner growth. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
7(a) The teacher individually and collaboratively selects and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals and content standards, and are relevant to learners. (Performances)
7(k) The teacher knows a range of evidence-based instructional strategies, resources, and technological tools and how to use them effectively to plan instruction that meets diverse learning needs. (Essential Knowledge)
7(p) The teacher takes professional responsibility to use short- and long-term planning as a means of assuring student learning. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
8(a) The teacher uses appropriate strategies and resources to adapt instruction to the needs of individuals and groups of learners. (Performances)
8(l) The teacher knows when and how to use appropriate strategies to differentiate instruction and engage all learners in complex thinking and meaningful tasks. (Essential Knowledge)
8(q) The teacher values the variety of ways people communicate and encourages learners to develop and use multiple forms of communication. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #9: Professional Learning & Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
9(a) The teacher engages in ongoing learning opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging curriculum and learning experiences based on local and state standards. (Performances)
9(g) The teacher understands and knows how to use a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies to analyze and reflect on his/her practice and to plan for adaptations/adjustments. (Essential Knowledge)
9(o) The teacher understands the expectations of the profession including codes of ethics, professional standards of practice, and relevant law and policy. (Critical Dispositions)
Standard #10: Leadership & Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
10(a) The teacher takes an active role on the instructional team, giving and receiving feedback on practice, examining learner work, analyzing data from multiple sources, and sharing responsibility for decision making and accountability for each student’s learning. (Performances)
10(o) The teacher knows how to contribute to a common culture that supports high expectations for student learning. (Essential Knowledge)
10(p) The teacher actively shares responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their success. (Critical Dispositions)