Based upon a background of positive psychology (Seligman), and strengths psychology (Clifton) strength-based leadership emphasizes the development of employee strengths, rather than the remediation of individual weaknesses as a way of doing business. Using the framework of strength-based leadership, students will learn how to apply leadership theory in a way which promotes a culture of commitment, rather than simply compliance. Students will study their own strengths and how to build an educational community around the strengths of each employee to move their schools to greater academic achievement. Florida Leadership Standards will be addressed via a crosswalk of the strength-based approach to traditional leadership practice.
- Teacher: Angie Franklin
Students will investigate the impact of school law on the rights of students and educators as guaranteed by the United States Constitution and will include federal and state statutes and regulations (state and federal statutory and regulatory provisions) as well as tort and contract liability as they influence public education. Students will explore federal and state regulations covering specific processes and procedures when working with parents, students and educators.
- Teacher: Gerardo Leal
A survey of information regarding children with special needs including possible causes and characteristics of exceptionalities, educational intervention, available resources, referral processes, and the advocacy role and legislative issues. Regularly scheduled observations of children are required. This course considers children with special needs from a critical perspective, drawing on element of disciplines such as disability studies and social justice. We will approach special needs and disability as an interaction between individual factors (such as the nature and severity of impairment, personal strengths and abilities), and structural factors (such as attitudes of others, abling or disabling environments).
- Teacher: Holli Forrest
In this course, students will explore and analyze various organizational, management, and instructional strategies that work best for educating culturally diverse students. While actively experiencing responsive education within a learning community, students will reflect on diverse cultural experiences to form a personal understanding as a basis to integrate multicultural school/classroom experiences to improve the academic success of all students by building on student personal strengths. The theory of “Multiple Intelligences” and current research available in educational neuroscience will be the basis for developing a plan for meeting student needs to enhance student cognitive, social, and emotional success through a nurturing school/classroom environment.
- Teacher: Heather White
In this course, students will explore brain research to examine developments in the field of neuroscience, and how these new understandings about the brain and learning can influence classroom practices. Class participants will actively construct their own learning making it personally relevant to their various teaching settings. Topics to be explored include how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves information, art infused across the content areas, processes involved in higher order thinking and learning, transfer of learning, and critical thinking.
- Teacher: Elena Rosemond
This is an introduction to the historical, cultural, and philosophical foundations of modern education, public, charter, and private, including Montessori education. Students will reflect upon and critique their own educational experiences and articulate their own beliefs and values about teaching, learning, and schooling. Students will also examine current and historical roles, expectations, stereotypes, and characterizations that define teaching, especially Montessori teaching, as a profession.
- Teacher: Debbie Couldrey
This class will explore professional development strategies for teachers. Like young students, teachers move through different stages of professional development. The students will use reflective methods of actively conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating. They will discuss and understand five major aspects of guide’s professional growth – intellectual, physical, didactic, moral, and spiritual.
- Teacher: Kara Siegel
This course will examine eight key elements of what Montessori called Total Reading as it is taught in Montessori programs. These are Creating a Literacy Culture; Emergent Literacy; Working with Words and Grammar; Penmanship and Creative Writing; Passing from Writing to Reading; Oral Language, Vocabulary, and Fluency; Speaking; and Listening and Viewing. Each of these will be examined in terms of importance, and applicability. Special attention will be paid to materials and methods for implementing these areas in Montessori classrooms.
- Teacher: Debbie Couldrey
The course addresses Montessori focused practices regarding classroom observation and management. The combination of personal reflection on classroom observation and management, as well as, actual classroom observations is used to deepen the student’s understanding, appreciation of and ability to apply course topics.
- Teacher: Krystal Perkins
This course will allow participants to integrate foundational principles and strategies for leadership in the school that transcend classroom teaching. This will build on all of the learning that has been achieved throughout the master’s program. Specific areas to be addressed include application of leadership skills specific for a lead teacher, level lead, committee head, curriculum coordinator, board member, having a student teacher or practicum student, leading parent meetings and education sessions, and leading regular materials practice sessions or other peer coaching and instruction. The students will also learn to enlist parent support for their leadership management efforts. A framework for fostering cooperation, social skills, and a sense of community is generated, and guidelines for peace education are included.
- Teacher: Heather White
This required core course uses the frameworks of positive psychology and strengths-based leadership to explore leadership theory that promotes a culture of commitment and recognizes the strengths of all educators and students as a focus. In this course, students will learn to identify their own personal strengths as well as those of their individual students and create strategies for using these in Montessori instruction, relationship building, assessment, and classroom management at all levels: infants and toddlers, early childhood, lower elementary, upper elementary, and secondary school, including working with adults in teacher education.
- Teacher: Angie Franklin
By examining a variety of teacher education program (TEP) structures, including collegiate plans, and working collaboratively to identify and solve complex problems, students in this course will earn their MACTE program auditor qualification. Focused on consultation and accreditation, course topics include accreditation standards, methods, and procedures; syllabi; tests and evaluation; instructional planning and calendars; and program evaluation.
- Teacher: Elaine Blasi
Students are required to be registered for at least one dissertation course during each term during which they are preparing either the dissertation proposal or the final dissertation for committee presentation. This requirement remains in effect until the required 12 credits have been amassed and the dissertation is complete.
- Teacher: Heather Gerker
This course provides an introduction to research methods and exposition. Students will acquire fundamental skills in developing and conducting research through the creation of an effective research question, how to write a review of the literature, and develop an understanding of the principles of quantitative and qualitative research methods. In addition, students will gain an understanding of principles of data analysis, interpretation, and presentation of results.
- Teacher: Julie Small
This foundational course introduces and develops a frame of assumptions for strengths-based philosophy, as well as creates a framework for dealing with students from a strengths perspective. Originating from the fields of positive psychology, this course will familiarize students with elements of Seligman’s theory of Positive Psychology, Clifton’s Strengths perspectives, and Purkey’s Invitational Theory. Students will develop a new paradigm that will provide a differentiated lens to observe and evaluate students. The underlying assumption being that all students have talents and potential strengths that can provide a mechanism for performance excellence. Leaders are charged with assisting students in the discovery, development, and application of these strengths
- Teacher: Jenny McCord