MASTERS BACHELOR DEGREES

A conceptual framework for professional development should be based on sound ideas about teaching, learning, and professionalism. Three markers of high-quality professional development are the basis for my framework. By a marker, I refer to an ingredient that, if present, helps professional development be an effective and powerful intervention. The three markers are integrated with a bachelor degree format, but they also apply to non-degree approaches to professional development that are also in a state of crisis.

My three markers touch on familiar aspects of the teacher’s world. They entail a view of teaching as ongoing self-improvement, a commitment to working together collegially, and a focus on student learning. None of these markers is revolutionary, but together they can be a powerful stimulus for thinking about bachelor degree programming.

Teaching as Ongoing Self-Improvement

The act of teaching can be interpreted in many ways. Beginners often believe that teaching occurs only when someone is standing in front of a class of students. Student teachers have told me many times, I won’t be teaching on Tuesday; the class will be doing group reports. In contrast, a staff development expert may see teaching as flawed unless the teacher employs particular techniques, techniques known to the staff developer but often not to the classroom teacher.  From this perspective (bachelor degree), teaching is an activity in need of outside intervention and externally induced renewal. To the researcher studying pedagogy, teaching is often viewed as an applied science in which research-based concepts and knowledge are the engine for instructional improvement.

Akin to the deficit view common among staff development experts and researchers on teaching, teacher educators interested in staff development are inclined to stress the shortcomings of teachers. Instead of identifying and building upon the strengths of experienced K-12 teachers, those in control of staff development–school system in-service as well as bachelor degree university study–are prone to accent the presumed deficiencies and weaknesses in teachers’ classroom practice. Repeatedly, the proposed course of action is some new staff development package or university course.