Male student teacher

Department of Education

Empowering the Next Generation

Become a licensed teacher in four years!

The WNE Education majors are designed to academically and dispositionally prepare students for entrance into the teaching profession. Through coursework assignments, microteaching, and field-based experiences connecting theory to practice in local K-12 schools, students develop and demonstrate their ability to successfully plan curriculum to meet needs of all learners, and effectively build and manage an equitable and inclusive learning community. 

The ED department is designed around a shared core of learning theories and teaching strategies, implemented throughout the majors. Identifying a shared core allows us to offer consistent advising, teaching and mentoring key to quality teacher preparation. The following shared theories and tools throughout ED coursework and field-based experiences in local classrooms support WNE graduates in meeting professional teaching standards leading to successful school experiences and outcomes for all students: 

Brain icon Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework for designing accessible learning for all students grounded in neuroscience research. UDL is the shared framework we use for practicing and planning differentiated instruction.

Heart icon Social Emotional Learning (SEL) using the CASEL framework. Research is clear that building relationships with students and helping students to build the skills to relate to others is vital for student success. We use the CASEL framework to ground SEL objectives and methodologies for lesson design and lesson analysis assignments.

Hand Icon Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) practices are introduced through the Principles for Constructive Engagement developed by Sensoy & DiAngelo. CSP practices are developed through in-class experiences designed to examine identity and biases, pragmatic readings, video analysis using CSP rubrics and criteria, and targeted field experiences.

  1. Strive for intellectual humility.
  2. Recognize the difference between opinions and informed knowledge.
  3. Let go of personal anecdotal evidence and look at broader societal patterns.
  4. Notice your own defensive reactions and attempt to use these reactions as entry points for gaining deeper self-knowledge.
  5. Recognize how your own social positionality (such as your race, class, gender, sexuality, ability-status) informs your perspectives and reactions to your instructor and the individuals whose work your study in the course.

(Sensoy & DiAngelo, p. 31, 2017)

Degree Icon Professional Teaching Standards, Frameworks & Organizations – Students delve into curriculum frameworks (e.g. MA, Common Core, NGSS…), and MA PSTs alongside current research in teaching and learning (ASCD, AERA…) to examine and apply the ‘what, why, and how’ of designing instruction and creating inclusive communities of learners.

Checklist Icon WNE Lesson Plan Template Lesson plans are a key form of assessment where students demonstrate their ability to plan lessons capturing accuracy of content knowledge, use of assessment data for planning instruction, clarity of skill instruction through SEL, ELA and content learning objectives (required for all lessons), detailed methodology demonstrating implementation of UDL, culturally sustaining practices and other strategies (e.g. SIOP, cooperative learning…), and varied assessment strategies to collect evidence of individual students meeting stated learning objectives.

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WNE Inducts 56 Student-Athletes into Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society

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Ray Ostendorf and Ma Teacher of the Year on each side of WNE Seal

Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Inspires WNE Education Students

The 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year presented to education students providing them with a firsthand look into the passion, perseverance, and purpose that defines excellence in the teaching profession.

University News, Arts and Sciences
Split screen slide with screen capture of James Dowling-Healey and astronaut Jonny Kim

Liftoff to Learning: A Conversation with Astronaut Jonny Kim 

James Dowling-Healey, a lecturer in the Western New England University Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, recently conducted an inspiring exchange on space exploration, science education, and student success with NASA astronaut Lieutenant Commander Jonny Kim who will be part of Expedition 73. 

University News, Arts and Sciences