Major Curricular Themes

Interdisciplinary Teacher Education

How can public education meet the needs of the diverse peoples who live in this democracy? That is the central question explored by the Master in Teaching program. We examine what it means to base teacher education and public education on a multicultural, democratic, developmental perspective and how performance-based assessment can promote these values. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we weave together three major themes of content and associated processes throughout the Master in Teaching curriculum.

Democracy and Schooling

We look at what it means to work and learn in a democracy operating within a state-supported, advanced capitalist economy. We help students to understand the evolution of our current democracy and to critique practices that exclude particular groups from equitable participation in society. Democracy is presented as a multidimensional concept and prospective teachers are guided toward professional action and reflection on the implications of the teacher’s role in enacting democratic school-based decision-making that is inclusive of parents, community members, school personnel and students, as well as democratic classroom learning environments that are learner-centered and collaborative.

Multicultural and Anti-Bias Perspective

The curriculum reflects Evergreen’s strong commitment to diversity because we believe that both teaching and learning must draw from many perspectives and include a multiplicity of ideas. We believe in recognizing and articulating differences of ethnicity, race, gender and sexual orientation rather than erasing or marginalizing them. We seek to expose Master in Teaching students to the consequences of their cultural encapsulation in an effort to help future teachers acquire a critical consciousness. We believe future teachers must be ready to provide children and youth with culturally responsive and equitable schooling opportunities.

Developmentally Appropriate Teaching and Learning

We understand that no single instructional model or limited set of teaching methods responds to the complex cognitive processes associated with K-12 learning. Our curriculum reflects the varied social, emotional, physiological and cognitive growth processes that shape how children and youth receive, construct, interpret and act on their experiences. We also understand that the competence of students is performance based. A broad-based curriculum that is  interdisciplinary, developmentally appropriate, meaningful and guided by a competent and informed teacher, as well as by learner interests, results in active learning.