UB Retools, Expands Teacher Education Program

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Graduate School of Education (GSE) at the University at Buffalo consistently rated as among the top education schools in the country, has dramatically reorganized and enlarged its program leading to New York State teacher certification in response to rapid changes in the field of teacher education and an expected increase in demand for new teachers.

The UB Teacher Education Institute -- formerly known as the Buffalo Research Institute on Education for Teaching (BRIET) -- will offer courses earlier on the undergraduate level and special assistance to those who wish to enter teaching from other professions. The changes in the program have resulted in an 80 percent increase in enrollment over last year.

"Change is necessary to maintain program quality as the institute enlarges to meet student demand," said Terry Gates, professor of education who was named director of the Teacher Education Institute on July 1. "We also need to ensure that the program satisfies new state teacher-certification requirements that are expected to be established by the end of September.

"Another reason for modification," he said, "is that the field of teacher education is finally responding to the fact that all kinds of people want to become teachers. Applications are coming in not only from college students, but also from steelworkers, writers, business people and mothers returning to work.

"We value these students for their long and varied life experiences. They tend to be more mature, insightful and empathetic than the average person. We want to help them make the right choices here, to be able to use the best of who they are and what they know in their new career."

Gates points out that today we know more about people and how they interact in societies than we ever have. Schools are among our most important social institutions, he said, and teacher-training programs should reflect this new knowledge and use it.

"Teacher development is not limited to a year-long training program," he said. "It begins before college and never ends. We've incorporated this realization into plans for pre-college teacher-education programs, teacher education for returning students and in-service education to help teachers keep pace with what's new in the field.

"All of this will help the institute produce a larger number of badly needed new teachers and addresses the changing needs of the educational community in Western New York and beyond," Gates said.

Changes in the institute were called for initially in a new GSE vision/mission statement and strategic plan that resulted from a year-long effort initiated by the school's former dean, the late Jacquelyn Mitchell. It involved intensive self-examination, working groups and implementation committees.

Gates outlined several specific alterations in the institute, its focus and programs:

• Teacher-education courses will be made available earlier to undergraduate students. Kim Truesdale, associate director of the institute, noted that at present, undergraduates who want to become teachers must complete a course of study in their major content areas, such as English, chemistry or social studies, before taking education courses in their senior year. At that time, they may complete a minor concentration in education and participate in student teaching in preparation for certification. Truesdale said making courses available to these students early in their college career will help them to decide if teaching is for them.

• New in-service education programs for teachers from Western New York school districts to keep them abreast of new research, technologies and methodologies in education and help them apply these to their subject areas.

• A pre-college teacher-education program is being developed for primary and secondary schools. Its goal is to build skills from an early age that can be transferred to other fields, but also will stimulate interest in the possibility of teaching as a profession. This kind of early career education is strongly endorsed by researchers in the field of vocational and career education.

• Assistance to those who want to enter teaching from other professions to help them assess the best ways to use talents and skills from previous careers to inform their teaching interests and abilities. The institute also will work to attract more potential teachers from outside the profession who will bring new and varied perspectives and skills to the classroom. "We have quite a range of career-changers this year, perhaps reflecting increased enrollment," Gates said. "They include lawyers, journalists, health-care professionals, homemakers, marketing executives and even a prominent television personality."

• Reorganization of the institute's clinical faculty to extend its membership to additional school districts. The clinical faculty is a group of working teachers involved in the redesign of institute's general methods class, one of its most important courses. The group also informs GSE of critical issues in schools, makes recommendations regarding course content and prepares cooperating teachers to oversee the work of student teachers.

• A new field-experience coordinator will organize required student-teaching experiences and coordinate the admissions process.

• A new policy board will set institute goals and the procedures for achieving them. It will consist of Gates; Suzanne Miller, associate dean for teacher education; the school's three department chairs, and one at-large member.

• A new advisory board will offer input to the policy board and provide the institute with broadly based leadership and direction, and help ensure that it is in touch with the needs of its various stakeholders. The board will include members from the GSE, the larger UB community and various school districts and communities throughout Western New York.

• Accreditation from the National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE) will be pursued. The institute already is accredited by New York State.