Better Teachers Learn at Lesley
The Graduate School of Education has a well-deserved reputation for the quality of its graduates. Time after time, principals and superintendents have praised Lesley student teachers and teachers. They are well prepared, knowledgeable, and focused squarely on student achievement and equity for all. Another recognizable trait: they always want to be better.
We are committed to continue this tradition of excellence.
Our Approach
We are a school run by teachers for teachers. As teachers:
We hold ourselves accountable
- Student course evaluations play a major role in contracts and promotions of faculty
- Our assessment system is optimized for continuous improvement: data-based information on benchmarks
- The outcomes of our students in their classrooms matters
- We have rigorous curriculum standards
- We invite outside scrutiny and evaluation (e.g., Teacher Education Accreditation Council; National Council on Teacher Quality)
We incorporate good ideas from wherever we find them
...From progressive tradition
- Power of experience - 20 % clinically based programs for initial license
- How children make sense of the world matters
- Central importance of assessment and understanding each student
...From recent break-through institutions
- Many routes to becoming a great teacher
- Importance of clearly defined target competencies
- Power of guided practice in real classrooms
We are always working to get better, and are confident our students want to get better, too
- Model reflective practice
- Use data to improve our outcomes
- Innovate to find ways to support teachers when and where they need us most