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Welcome to Shorter University’s School of Education. The Mission of the Teacher Preparation Program at Shorter University is to provide exemplary classroom and field experiences for its students so that they may become successful teachers who are dedicated to life-long learning, personal growth, collaborative effort, responsible citizenship, and community leadership in a global context. Upon successful completion of the program, Shorter University graduates will possess content, pedagogical, and curricular knowledge, but more importantly, they will be caring professionals, concerned for the needs of others and able to assist others effectively in the learning process.

The preservice teacher who completes the Teacher Preparation Program at Shorter University will be prepared to enter the teaching profession with all of the skills, understanding, knowledge, attitudes, and ethics necessary to be a successful teacher. Through various program experiences, the student will be able to build an understanding of what a successful teacher does. The student also will develop a life-long desire to increase competence as an educator. The preservice teacher who completes the program will be ready for more formal study at the graduate level or less formal improvement based upon reflection and self-study. Along with continuing personal development as a professional, the teacher should be a leader in the continuous process of making schools better for all children.

The experiences in the Teacher Preparation Program at Shorter include a thorough study of the principles of development, the principles of learning and motivation, and content in the discipline(s). Also included in the program are field work experiences culminating in student teaching. Field work allows the teacher candidate to discover and acquire the craft knowledge of master teachers. The ability of the Teacher Preparation Program to provide such outstanding opportunities for preservice teachers is the result of successful, long-term collaboration with local school systems by the faculty members. Combining the wisdom of experience of these qualified and diverse faculty, with their emphasis on recent research, modern theory, and proficiency in the use of technology, Shorter’s Teacher Preparation Program prepares the teacher for life-long learning and professional development.

Equally important is the development of professional ethics. Shorter University’s commitment to a liberal arts education from a Christian perspective for all students provides the basis for the development of a teacher’s professional ethics. Central to professional ethics is the belief that all children can learn and that the teacher’s primary responsibility is to facilitate and guide this process. All children include, of course, children of all ethnic, racial, religious, economic, and social backgrounds. Diversity within the Shorter faculty and student body and in the public schools provides students with the opportunity to develop respect and tolerance. From this basis and from knowledge of professional standards as taught in the program, preservice teachers can develop the professional commitments and dispositions that will enable them to be advocates for children.

“Learner-centered teaching,” a term used synonymously with “addressing learners’ needs,” characterizes both the approach of the Shorter University faculty and the program expectations for the teacher candidates. Thus, the motto of the Conceptual Framework of the Shorter University Teacher Preparation Program is, “Learners First.” I invite you to become a member of the noblest of professions, and to experience being a part of Shorter University’s Teacher Preparation Program.