The liberally educated teacher is a reflective practitioner, who is able to evaluate his or her practice and adapt it to changing contemporary contexts. The liberally educated teacher is a resourceful, self-directed, and courageous professional dedicated to personal and professional growth. Core Dimensions of the Educational Studies Curriculum Educational foundations . These courses address the historical, philosophical, social, political, and cultural foundations of educational thought and practice in the United States and around the world. In foundation studies, students examine historical and contemporary contexts of educational practices, the role of education in society, and education as a profession.
Students begin to define their own positions and to articulate pedagogical rationales.
Educational foundations also includes explorations in comparative, international, and cross-cultural education. Child and adolescent development . Teachers do not present content in a vacuum. They work in social settings with specific aims that necessitate understanding the children they teach. Effective teachers comprehend the diversities among contemporary families and children and the complex array of challenges they face, as well as the strengths and competencies they possess.