Foundations of Teacher Education
Foundations in Teacher Education 12 is an introduction to careers within the field of education with an emphasis on classroom teaching in the K-12 system. Students examine teaching philosophies, strategies, classroom management techniques and issues surrounding students, schools and the community. Foundations in Teacher Education 12 is a course option for students who have a desire to strengthen their self-reflexive, metacognitive, inter and intrapersonal, and leadership skills.
Many students are interested in a variety of careers in education but have not yet examined the classroom and school community from an educator’s perspective. Foundations in Teacher Education 12 will introduce students to the complexities of teaching and the school environment. It provides opportunities for students to explore the field of education before entering a post-secondary trajectory into the multifaceted field of education.
Reflecting on strengths, stretches, biases and passions helps us to identify the steps needed to achieve a career in education. Learning about teaching supports student learning, self-advocacy, self-reflexivity, and ownership of learning. Education has an historical and continued role in colonialism and the oppression of marginalized groups. Indigenous models of education foreground ethicality, sustainability, self-discovery, and service to one’s community
The course is structured around several Indigenous learning frameworks, including the FNESC First Peoples Principles of learning, the Sk’ad’a principles (Davidson & Davidson, 2018), and the Guiding Inuit Quajimajatuqangit Principles, but also aims to provide students with a direct understanding of these principles to help shape their educational philosophy. This work would support the TRC call to action #63, which includes the recommendations that “i. Sharing information and best practices