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Center of Pedagogy

About the Center of Pedagogy

What is the Center of Pedagogy?
Mission Statement
Portrait of a Teacher
Centers of Pedagogy Across the Nation
Contact Information

What is the Center of Pedagogy?

Montclair State University was the first university in the nation to create a formal structure in which faculty from arts and sciences, education and the public schools -- what we call the Tripartite -- are equally involved in the ongoing work of teacher education. Anyone who is involved in the education of educators is a member of the Center of Pedagogy. Policies and practices are established by collaborative groups with equal representation from all parts of the Tripartite.

The Center of Pedagogy is charged with initiating and coordinating all aspects of teacher education. Most important, however, is that our work is informed by the belief that public education is critical to creating and sustaining a political and social democracy. We believe that schools, universities, and communities must engage in simultaneous and collaborative renewal in order to make our vision of education for social justice a reality.

Under the umbrella of the Center of Pedagogy you will find a number of programs and offices including the Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal, Agenda for Education in a Democracy, Advocacy Center, Office of Admissions and Retention, Ed.D. in Pedagogy, Fieldwork Department, Children's Center, Urban Teaching Academy, New Jersey Consortium for Urban Education, and ADP Center.

The Center of Pedagogy also coordinates the Policy Committee, which is the oversight body for policy and curriculum for undergraduate and graduate certification programs. The Center regularly charges task forces to study and make recommendations about pressing issues such as teaching for equity and diversity, inclusive education, professional development school partnerships, and redesigning the professional sequence for preparation programs.

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Mission Statement

The mission of the Center of Pedagogy is the continuing development of educators who promote students' critical thinking and learning and develop their competence to participate actively and productively in democratic communities. The Center's members recognize their roles and moral responsibilities in the enculturation of students into our emerging political and social democracy. The Center provides a vehicle for collaboration in an environment where all members can participate as equals. The Center of Pedagogy facilitates the ongoing simultaneous renewal of the education of educators and the educational programs of the university and the public schools. The Center encourages a wide range of scholarship, especially the scholarship of pedagogy and of application.

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Portrait of a Teacher

The centerpiece of all of our work is a document called the Portrait of a Teacher, shown below. Composed by faculty from the university and the schools, the Portrait is a set of statements that embody our vision of an educator. We use the portrait to inform admission into all of our programs, assessment of student teaching, and professional development for teachers. First developed in 1996, the Portrait has undergone several revisions. It was recently revised to align with our institutional standards. These standards were created in 2003 and align with the National Council for Accreditation of (NCATE) standards.


The Montclair State University community is committed to the continuing development of teachers who exemplify the character, dispositions and habits of mind reflected in this portrait. They:

  1. Have expert knowledge of the disciplines they will teach and can use various strategies, including media and technology, for creating learning experiences that make the subject matter accessible and meaningful to all students.
  2. Understand how children and adolescents learn and develop in a variety of school, family and community contexts, and can provide learning opportunities that support their students' intellectual, social, and personal development.
  3. Understand the practice of culturally responsive teaching. They understand that children bring varied talents, strengths, and perspectives to learning; have skills for learning about the diverse students they teach; and use knowledge of students and their lives to design and carry out instruction that builds on students' individual and cultural strengths.
  4. Plan instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, families, communities, and curriculum goals and standards; and take into account issues of class, gender, race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, age, and special needs in designing instruction.
  5. Understand critical thinking and problem solving, and create learning experiences that promote the development of students' critical thinking and problem solving skills and dispositions.
  6. Understand principles of democracy and plan and carry out instruction that promotes democratic values and communication in the classroom.
  7. Understand and use multiple forms of assessment to promote the intellectual, social, and physical development of learners and to inform instruction.
  8. Create a community in the classroom that is nurturing, caring, safe, and conducive to learning.
  9. Are reflective practitioners who continually inquire into the nature of teaching and learning, reflect on their own learning and professional practice, evaluate the effects of their choices and actions on others, and seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
  10. Build relationships with school colleagues, families, and agencies in the community to support students' learning and well-being, and work to foster an appreciation of diversity among students and colleagues.
  11. Possess the literacy skills associated with an educated person; can speak and write English fluently and communicate clearly.
  12. Develop dispositions expected of professional educators. These include belief in the potential of schools to promote social justice; passion for teaching; and commitment to ensuring equal learning opportunities for every student, critical reflection, inquiry, critical thinking, and life-long learning, the ethical and enculturating responsibilities of educators, and serving as agents of change and stewards of best practice.

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Centers of Pedagogy Across the Nation

More than a century ago, John Dewey envisioned departments of pedagogy as the focal point for all policies and practices in teacher education. John Goodlad reintroduced the idea of a center of pedagogy in 1990 by establishing the first at Montclair State University. For an in-depth discussion of the concept, including standards for establishing and evaluating centers, a case study of the evolution of Montclair State University's Center of Pedagogy, and information on other similar structures, see Robert S. Patterson, Nicholas M. Michelli, and Arturo Pacheco, Centers of Pedagogy: New Structures for Educational Renewal, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.

Contact Information

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