Teacher Education Department Mission

The mission of the Department of teacher Education relates directly to the mission of the college of Education and indirectly to the institutional mission of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.  The department stresses a commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service; assists in the design and implementation of educational opportunities for all student s in the field of education; and supports educational programs that enhance student growth and development in preparing effective and committed teachers.

Objectives/Outcomes - Initial Certification Programs

The University of Nebraska at Kearney recognizes the importance of education in and for a democratic society and has identified the following desired outcomes. Completers of the Teacher Education program, will be able to:

The Learner and Learning
Standard 1: Learner Development
Demonstrate an understanding of how learners grow and develop, recognize that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and design and implement developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

Standard 2: Learning Differences 
Identify individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.

Standard 3: Learning Environments
Work with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Content Knowledge
Standard 4: Content Knowledge 
Identify 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.

Standard 5: Application of Content 
Demonstrate an ability to connect concepts and uses differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic content specific issues.

Instructional Practice
Standard 6: Assessment
Use appropriate methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide The student’s and learner’s decision making.

Standard 7: Planning for Instruction 
Conduct 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.

Standard 8: Instructional Strategies 
Demonstrate 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.

Professional Responsibility
Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice 
Engage 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.

Standard 10: Leadership and Collaboration
Seek 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.