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Department of Education > Identifying Characteristics of Lake Forest College Educated Teachers

The values in boldface below are part of the Identifying Characteristics of Lake Forest College educated teachers. Your performance in education department courses should demonstrate the developing competencies that are embedded in the core elements of our program.

I. Pre-professional Dispositions that include the personal characteristics needed for success in teaching

In this regard, the teacher candidate will

  • be reliable (e.g., punctual, consistent attendance, responsible)
  • demonstrate seriousness of purpose
  • demonstrate a positive, pleasant attitude toward children, peers, mentor teachers, and college faculty
  • demonstrate tact, honesty, good judgment, courtesy, respect, and diplomacy
  • be open to constructive criticism
  • balance self-confidence and assertivenesswith deference to others
  • demonstrate flexibility both in interpersonal interactions and in his or her professional responsibilities (e.g., planning, implementation, etc.)
  • demonstrate high levels of motivation and commitment to growth by going beyond minimal expectations
  • persevere in order to accomplish goals

II. Resourcefulness that enables teachers to know how to learn and to teach how to learn

In this regard, the teacher candidate will

  • take initiative, use his or her imagination, and seek out information using a variety of human and material resources to inform his or her teaching.
  • demonstrate strong content area knowledge
  • demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning by being an avid reader and an informed citizen
  • be able to draw from theoretical and philosophical frameworks explored in coursework and apply them meaningfully to classroom settings.
  • recognize his or her own strengths, interests, and skillsand consider how these might be compelling ways to engage children in learning

    III. Responsiveness to children that considers their best interests first and foremost

    In this regard, the teacher candidate will

    • develop rapport with students
    • take the time and effort needed to understand how a child learns, discover his or her interests, and determine how to shape teaching acts accordingly
    • enact responsiveness to diverse learners through his or her teaching acts (including preparation for teaching ) and through everyday interactions with children
    • establish a classroom environment and use management procedures that reflect respect and care for children and concern for their emotional and physical well being
    • respect and consider cultural contexts in order to determine how to be responsive to children

    IV. Teacher efficacy that is developed through the power of student/teacher/parent relationships and through the development of intellectual capabilities and teaching skills that support children’s learning

    In this regard, the teacher candidate will

    • be well organized and fastidious in the manner in which he or she prepares for and executes instruction
    • demonstrate vitality and energy/teacher presence in his or her teaching
    • be proactive in developing relationships with children that support their academic, emotional, and social well being
    • plan learning experiences that engage children meaningfully and actively (hands-on/minds-on)
    • develop a repertoire of instructional strategies based on both coursework and observations of other teachers
    • reflect an understanding of the importance of meeting the needs of diverse learners through careful instructional planning and implementation

      V. Reflective self-assessment that emerges from personal experiences in teaching, dialogue with mentors and colleagues, and metacognitive behaviors

      In this regard the teacher candidate will

      • monitor his or her own progress and identify strengths and weaknesses
      • evaluate strategies for successand find alternatives for inappropriate strategies
      • show evidence of self-directed learning
      • reflectabout and articulate what he or she knows and does not know
      • be able to talk about his or her thinking processes during conferences and seminar
      • show evidence of metacognition through writing ( e.g., journals, response to prompts, etc.)