Relay’s pedagogical framework describes Relay’s holistic approach to teacher education. It speaks to why Relay is engaged in this work, what Relay students should know after completing their program, and how Relay develops students’ knowledge, skills, and mindsets.

The Why

Relay’s Mission: Relay’s mission is to ensure that all students are taught by outstanding educators.

 

Vision of a Relay-Prepared Teacher: By the end of the program, Relay students will possess the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and dispositions of a culturally responsive and inclusive educator who is well versed in subject matter. They will demonstrate their ability to apply and integrate the practices of effective teaching within their discipline by demonstrating proficiency with Relay competencies, meeting professional standards, and impacting their own Birth–12 students’ outcomes. 

 

Birth–12 Student Outcomes: At Relay, student outcomes are measured by a combination of three constructs: (a) academic achievement, (b) social-emotional learning, and (c) student experience. This conception of student outcomes is supported by a growing body of research that demonstrates the interconnected nature of academic achievement, social and emotional well-being, and a positive and affirming school experience (Jackson, Porter, Easton, Blanchard, & Kiguel, 2020). By focusing on all three outcomes simultaneously, Relay aims to equip educators to support their Birth–12 students’ holistic growth and achievement in service of their academic and life goals. 

The What

Relay’s curriculum is grounded in a set of evidence-based competencies that define the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and dispositions of effective teaching that drive Birth–12 students’ academic and social-emotional development. The competencies are informed by national and subject-specific teaching standards and reflect a wide range of contemporary research on the science of learning and development, adult learning, and teacher education.

 

 

 

Conceptual Model: An evolving set of asset-based beliefs and mindsets encompasses three integrated spheres of teacher development: Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Environments knowledge of the Content and Curriculum, and pedagogy for Teaching All Learners. Relay students learn, practice, and perform competencies across the spheres in concert with one another to drive Birth–12 student outcomes represented by a positive student experience, social-emotional development, and academic achievement. 

 

Competencies
The set of knowledge and skills that all Relay-prepared teachers will possess in service of their Birth–12 students.

• Building a Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Learning Environment

        The knowledge, skills, and dispositions that all teachers need to develop to meet the needs of culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse student populations and demonstrate in their work with students, families, and communities.

• Understanding Content and Curriculum  

        The deep and flexible understanding of academic content and foundational, cross-curricular skills that teachers must develop in order to support ALL PK–12 learners in making meaningful connections throughout the curriculum and to real-world contexts                    (Loewenberg Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008; Hill, Rowan, & Loewenberg Ball, 2005; Schulman, 1986).

• Teaching All Learners

        The instructional practices that integrate content-specific assessment, planning, and instructional strategies in coordinated and engaging ways. This includes both core practices in the teaching and learning cycle, and content-specific practices, which represent              the differences in pedagogical approaches across subjects and grade levels (Burn, Childs, & McNicholl, 2007; Loewenberg Ball & Forzani, 2009; Shulman, 1987). 

 

Beliefs and Mindsets

Teachers apply their knowledge and skills in the field in a way that reflects their beliefs and mindsets. At Relay, we explicitly support our students in developing the habits of mind of a culturally responsive and inclusive educator that will enable them to enact                skills learned at Relay in service of equitable outcomes for all students. Overall, these beliefs and mindsets reflect the understanding that all learners and communities possess assets that should be leveraged to ensure all students meet ambitious academic and          social-emotional goals. 

 

The How

Relay students are expected to understand how specific practices impact teaching and learning and effectively implement these practices in their teaching contexts. Relay’s focus on the application of skills taught in the classroom prepares students to complete our programs equipped to meet the demands of a 21st-century Birth–12 classroom.

 

Relay’s practice-based approach to instruction is characterized by the following features:

 

Exemplary Teaching Faculty

Relay courses are facilitated by exemplary teachers who have demonstrated success in Birth–12 classrooms and who possess deep theoretical and practical knowledge of program-level competencies. Relay faculty model the habits of mind of a culturally responsive and inclusive educator in their planning, instruction, and advisement of Relay students. By doing so, faculty foster the understanding that all learners and communities possess assets that should be leveraged to ensure all students meet ambitious academic and social-emotional goals. Through shared professional learning opportunities and collaboration, faculty continue to build their expertise to stay current in the field. 

 

Focus on Practice

Relay faculty members drive toward proficient or exemplary performance on all program-level competencies by facilitating supported practice of the competencies taught in our program. Practice cycles include:

• Strong Models: Relay teachers develop by observing effective teaching in action. Our instruction includes access to and shared analysis of strong models of the integration of skills and mindsets developed in coursework. The nature of these models varies depending on the nature of the skill (e.g., models of planning may look different from models of delivery) and may be faculty-driven, in the form of written or video case study or in the form of teacher-to-teacher collaboration.
• Clinical Practice: The work of teaching requires executing an integrated set of complex skills in both intentional and responsive ways. Clinical practice supports fine-tuning skills via feedback and self-reflection prior to applying the skills in a professional context. Practice opportunities vary based on the nature of the skill (e.g., practice analyzing data will look different from practice standing and delivering a lesson introduction). 
• Self-Reflection and Feedback: Teachers grow in their practice through direct feedback and self-reflection on their craft. We offer opportunities for faculty and peer feedback during asynchronous and synchronous coursework, through conversation with advisors, and on summative assessments.

 

Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Pedagogy

Adult learners are varied in terms of their identities, their cultures, their experiences, their ways of learning, and the contexts in which they teach. Relay’s program is built to support equal opportunity for varied learners across the following dimensions: 

• Cultural Competence. Relay faculty deeply reflect on our own identities and learn about our students’ identities, cultures, languages, and experiences. Relay faculty incorporate the cultural values and beliefs of Relay students into their instruction and advisement in service of equity around student engagement with and achievement within our program.
• Learner Variability. Relay faculty understand that each of us varies in terms of how we learn best. Faculty plan adult instruction and advise students through a trauma-informed lens, with the goal of reducing barriers to learning in the Relay classroom. 

 

Relay faculty also believe that one’s capacity to thrive in the teaching profession is dependent on one’s holistic well-being. Faculty intentionally promote stress reduction and offer resources for teachers to draw from, in service of this goal.

 

Content + Pedagogy + Clinical Practice

Teaching can be cultivated through collaboration with others who find deep meaning and joy in their craft. Relay students build relationships with teaching colleagues in similar content and grade levels merging understanding of discipline-specific content and curriculum with content-rich pedagogy. These relationships support ongoing engagement around and connection to teaching (Smith, Frey, & Tollefson, 2003).

 

In clinical practice, teachers develop skills and habits around reflection on the impact of their practice on their own students’ outcomes. They learn to plan in response to this data, act, and evaluate the outcomes of their actions to drive their ongoing professional development.   

 

Hybrid Approach to Learning

Relay students engage with coursework through a blend of both synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. The hybrid approach to learning provides students with increased flexibility to build foundational understanding of theories and concepts, engage in personal inquiry, and explore video-based classroom models before coming together for faculty-led synchronous sessions focused on collaborative sense-making, practice, and application (Henriksen, Mishra, Greenhow, Cain, & Roseth, 2014). Through the learning management system, students are able to easily share classroom artifacts representative of their own development for feedback from both peers and professors.