Boston University College of Education
http://www.bu.edu/academics/sed/
As one of the leaders in education and education reform in the nation, the Boston University School of Education provides comprehensive teacher preparation to students in more than 20 concentrations. Students take advantage of the many courses and activities of the larger University; the School represents a network of scholars and students with a shared focus and set of goals, and a true sense of community. Faculty and students enjoy many personal exchanges outside the classroom, both academic and social.
The School maintains a variety of collaborative arrangements with school districts in the Boston region. Boston University, under a unique partnership agreement, managed the public schools of Chelsea, Massachusetts, from 1988 through June of 2008. Current partnerships include both Boston’s “Step UP” effort and “Jumpstart,” a service learning project that provides literacy enrichment for at-risk pre-school children in Boston.
From its founding in 1918, the Boston University School of Education has pursued three missions: to educate and prepare professional teachers, administrators, and educators to accept leadership responsibilities throughout the world; to offer continuing educational opportunities for practicing teachers and administrators to make the very most of their talents; and to promote research and scholarship that elevate the quality of education. Continuous involvement in the surrounding community has made School of Education faculty and students particularly effective teachers and learners, sensitive and responsive to the circumstances and realities of schooling. These goals are reflected in the affirmation below.
Graduates of the School of Education serve communities throughout the United States and abroad. Their career opportunities expand as educational demands grow in industry, communications, public and private social service agencies, and government, in addition to schools, colleges, and universities. They are leaders in their fields; they give definition to new jobs; they bring dedication and fine judgment to a demanding profession.
School of Education programs are based on the premise that professional competence requires a foundation of knowledge in traditional academic disciplines and in the arts and science of teaching and learning. In addition to their courses in education, students take courses in the College of Arts & Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and other professional schools at the University. Collaboration between School of Education faculty and other faculty is increasingly important to our academic and research missions.
An informed professional educator must link traditional academic knowledge and training with practical experience. Commencing with the freshman year and culminating with student teaching or other field assignments at the close of the program, the undergraduate student has opportunities throughout to explore career options and relate theory to practice. At all degree levels, students are encouraged to work with faculty and research associates in building bridges among the academic, service, and the research functions of the School. The School of Education draws heavily on the educational community of the Boston metropolitan area, educational partners in selected international sites, and the special skills of faculty and research associates working in centers, clinics, and laboratories in the School, the University, and in community agencies and hospitals.
Opportunities for overseas and regional field assignments are complemented by opportunities for working with faculty and graduate students in School-based clinics and learning laboratories. Collaborative arrangements with human service agencies and corporations allow students to match the training, development, and evaluation skills of the educator with the unique needs of those environments.
Urban and suburban fieldwork and service opportunities for students are also abundant. Through a cooperative network of school districts (including Boston, Brookline, Chelsea, Concord, Lexington, Newton, and Somerville) and carefully structured experiences overseas, students can link theory with practice and work with professionals in helping children and adults. The sharing of resources and exchange of ideas between individual school districts and community agencies, and between these and the School of Education that take place as a result of this program create a vibrant atmosphere for learning.
It is imperative that a student discuss his or her plans with an advisor at the initial conference and throughout the course of his or her academic program. It is also critical that students keep abreast of requirements in other states where they wish to seek licensure. The collection of documents required to meet licensure requirements is the responsibility of the applicant.
The Boston University Educator’s Affirmation
I dedicate myself to the life of an educator, to laying the living foundations upon which successor generations must continue to build their lives.
I dedicate myself to the advancement of learning, for I know that without it our successors will lack both the vision and the power to build well.
I dedicate myself to the cultivation of character, for I know that humanity cannot flourish without courage, compassion, honesty, and trust.
I commit myself to the advancement of my own learning and to the cultivation of my own character, for I know that I must bear witness in my own life to the ideals that I have dedicated myself to promote in others.
In the presence of this gathering, I so dedicate and commit myself.
Written for the occasion of the April 24, 1989, School of Education Junior Pinning Ceremony by Dr. Steven Tigner.