Teacher Education Program Renewal
After extensive community consultations, a renewed program for Grades 6 to 12 Teacher Education has been proposed. On April 11, 2025, faculty members will vote to decide whether the proposed program renewal moves forward.
Ahead of voting, you are encouraged to explore the consultation summaries, understand the proposed changes, and be ready to take part in this important decision. You are also invited to an Open House on March 28, 2025, from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm in MAC D013 to learn more and ask your questions.
Your voice matters — let’s build a stronger, more innovative teacher education program together.
Background & consultations
In June 2022, driven by the need to ensure our program remains responsive, effective, and aligned with evolving educational standards and community needs, a working committee was established to begin reviewing the UVic Bachelor of Education - Secondary Post-Degree Professional Program. This initiative builds on previous work and addresses recommendations from past reviews while adapting to the changing landscape of education in British Columbia and beyond.
Members of the Program Renewal Design Committee
- Todd Milford – Chair EDCD and Renewal Chair
- Vanessa Andreotti – Dean of Education
- Lucinda Brown – Faculty member, EPLS
- Gary Crocker – IED staff representative
- Maureen Farish – Faculty Lead, East Kootenay Teacher Education Program
- Leslee Francis Pelton – Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Education
- Lyndze Harvey – Faculty member, EDCI
- Catherine McGregor – Associate Dean, Graduate Programs & Research, Faculty of Education
- Anita Prest – Faculty member, EDCI
- Helen Raptis – Faculty member, EDCI
- Kerry Robertson – Manager, Teacher Education
- Kathy Sanford – Faculty member, EDCI
- Alison Shields – Faculty member, EDCI
Rationale for Program Renewal
The rationale for the renewal includes:
- Responding to the 2016 External Review and building on the foundational work started in 2018.
- Aligning with changes in the BC Curriculum and updated Teacher Education Program Approval Standards.
- Addressing feedback from key field partners, including recent graduates, school district administrators, Indigenous communities, and practicing educators.
- Incorporating insights from the latest program review and direct student feedback.
- Responding to financial realities, including requests to address budget shortfalls from central administration at the University of Victoria.
- Defining a clear vision and identity for the program, while recognizing the urgency to modernize and support the province’s ongoing teacher shortage.
Consultations
Consultations took place over two phases, engaging both internal and external educators to ensure diverse perspectives were heard and reflected in the proposed changes. The committee has summarized the findings of both phases of consultations, which can be viewed here:
You can also see the full schedule of consultations.The Renewed Program
4 terms. 7 content blocks. 30 units of powerful learning.
The redesigned program prepares exceptional educators through a comprehensive curriculum that integrates advanced pedagogical theory with practical teaching methodologies. This innovative program develops teachers who demonstrate mastery in instructional design, student engagement, and differentiated learning strategies.
At its foundation, the program emphasizes the interconnected nature of education across diverse learning environments. Graduates acquire extensive expertise in curriculum planning, differentiated instruction, and assessment practices fully aligned with BC's educational standards and reporting requirements. They develop proficiency in critical technology integration, evidence-based teaching practices, and the creation of inclusive learning environments.
Cultural competency serves as a cornerstone of the curriculum, with Indigenous perspectives and worldviews thoughtfully integrated throughout. The program cultivates educators who excel in critical and creative thinking while demonstrating deep cultural awareness. Through a combination of campus-based learning and in-school practicum experiences, candidates develop crucial skills in professional communication, collaboration, and ethical decision-making.
Educators build valuable professional networks while engaging with complex disciplinary concepts through an equity lens, attending to both social justice and environmental sustainability. The program's integrated approach to assessment, planning, and instruction empowers graduates to create learning environments that are both inclusive and personalized, ensuring optimal educational outcomes for all students.
The renewed program also meets the .
The following big ideas have been identified as core competencies for students in our program, and have been carefully woven throughout the renewed program:
- Block 1: Teacher Identity, Education as a Profession within Complexity, Diversity & Decolonization
- Block 2: Learning to teach; Learning how people learn; How the BC Curriculum is organized
- Block 3: Planning for Teaching & Learning
- Block 4: Social justice; Unpacking colonizing education; EDID; Complexity; Post practicum inquiry & debrief within Advisory
- Block 5: Subject-specific teaching and curriculum; Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Block 6: Beginning to act with discernment; Embracing complexity; Embodying Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
- Block 7: Consolidation of skills; Becoming a professional; Discernment; Teacher judgment; Accountability; How to have difficult conversations
The renewal of this program follows a design thinking approach, guided by an iterative set of principles designed to create a cohesive, forward-thinking, and impactful learning experience for future educators:
- Decolonizing teaching and learning: The program prioritizes decolonization by confronting coloniality, fostering diverse worldviews, and embracing anti-oppressive, anti-racist approaches.
- Cohesive, thematic learning: Courses are interconnected through overarching themes that reflect the program’s vision and create a unified learning experience.
Key themes throughout the program include:
- Climate crisis and climate justice
- Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity (VUCA)
- Social justice orientations: Decolonization, privilege, global/local perspectives, anti-oppression, cultural competence, activism, allyship, and teaching agency
- Pedagogical orientations: Assessment, inquiry, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), digital citizenship
- Health and wellness orientations: Trauma-informed practice, compassionate and safe learning communities, personal well-being
To ensure continuity, all students are part of advisory groups — small, supportive learning communities led by an instructor. Each group (approximately 20-30 students) remains together throughout the program, fostering mentorship, collaboration, and consistency.
Advisory groups serve to:
- Connect big ideas and distinctive themes across seven learning blocks over four semesters
- Support students' digital portfolio development
- Reinforce program distinctions introduced in early courses
- Maintain programmatic threads across courses
- Create connections between coursework, field experiences, and emerging ideas
- Facilitate self-reflection and well-being
- Unpack field and practicum experiences
Ongoing field experiences, including practicums, occur in Designated Partner Schools for real-world learning. Digital portfolios track student learning across the program. Students curate their portfolios in the final semester (Block 7) for a Celebration of Learning and present them to incoming students during Block 1 – Course #3: The Activist Teacher.
Pass/Fail Evaluation: The program supports collaborative, reflective learning, using a Pass/Fail model aligned with graduate school admission requirements.
Full Program Completion: Students must complete all coursework, program components, and practicum experiences to successfully pass the program.
Renewed program blueprint
The renewed program is built on a foundation of thoughtful consultation, research, and a commitment to preparing future educators for the complexities of today’s classrooms.
To bring this vision to life, we’ve developed a comprehensive program blueprint that outlines the structure and flow of the renewed program. This blueprint maps the program’s design directly to our guiding principles and themes, ensuring that every step — from the first course to the final practicum — reflects our commitments to decolonization, social justice, climate justice, well-being, and innovative pedagogy.
Next steps & important dates
March 28, 2025 - Open House
All faculty are invited to attend an in-person Open House event ahead of voting to learn more about the program renewal process and ask your questions.
- 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
- MAC D013
April 11, 2025 - Voting Meeting
Eligible faculty are invited to attend a meeting on April 11 and vote as to whether the Dean can proceed with the program renewal process.
Spring to Fall 2025 - Program Development
A positive vote on April 11 would result in the Dean forming a working committee to finalize the draft program shared here. Reporting to the Dean, the committee would work with a consultant to finalize program documents, arrange consultations, draft course outlines, and prepare program renewal documents.
Fall 2025 - Present to Faculty Council
Once ready, program renewal documents would be presented for consideration at a Faculty Council Meeting. If faculty approval is granted, a process would begin for internal and external program approval.
FAQ
- Responding to the 2016 External Review and 2018 initial review work
- Aligning with changes to the British Columbia (BC) Curriculum and Teacher Education Program Approval Standards
- Addressing feedback from field partners such as recent graduates, school district administrators, Indigenous communities, and educators
- Incorporating recommendations from the most recent program review
- Reflecting student feedback — both formal and informal
- Addressing budget shortfalls identified by Central Administration at the University of Victoria (UVic)
- Defining a clear vision and identity for the program
- Recognizing the urgent need for program renewal
- Responding to the current teacher shortage
- More integrated and connected to schools to strengthen real-world learning experiences
- Cohesive and streamlined to provide a clearer, more connected journey for teacher candidates
- Aligned with UVic’s Strategic Plan to meet evolving classroom and community needs
- Cross-curricular and inquiry-focused, encouraging students to explore connections between subject areas
If the faculty approves the program renewal on April 11, the working group will continue consultations with partner groups to ensure ongoing collaboration and improvement.