DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The teacher education program faculty members believe that in order to be effective in today's school, a teacher must be knowledgeable, possess a professional disposition, and conduct teaching/learning experiences that ensure the development of all children's abilities to be critical participants in and productive members of a democratic society. The professional education unit faculty members have agreed that a teacher education program at Shepherd University that enables prospective teachers to acquire the above characteristics will be based on the following philosophical position.

Consistent reflection of the nature and practice of education is a hallmark of a critically-thinking teacher. Consequently, the chosen theme of the teacher education program at Shepherd University is Teacher as Reflective Problem Solver (TARPS). We have established a framework for the development of reflective dispositions. In order to effectively respond to the range of concerns found in today's classrooms, a teacher needs to be concurrently reflective across three fields of consideration: action, interpretation, and critical reflection. The effective teacher examines his/her action and is concerned with the effective application of pedagogical knowledge and strategies to achieve stated educational goals for every child. This action is subject to interpretation. Here the teacher explicates and justifies the assumptions and predispositions that underlie his/her teaching/learning activity. During the process of critical reflection, the teacher assesses the adequacy of the educational goals toward which the educational experience leads and incorporates moral and ethical criteria in assessing the outcomes of teaching/learning activity.

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