Objectives of the MAT, Art Education Program of Tufts University in affiliation with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The objectives for students of the Tufts/SMFA MAT, Art Education Program include the following:

To develop critical, scholarly knowledge and reflective, pedagogic skills through the lens of multicultural art education while considering the role of art and visual culture in the lives of PK-12 school students and their communities.

To consider art making, culture making and art teaching in the sociopolitical context of U.S and world histories, current events and community experiences.

To investigate various philosophies in the field of art education including but not limited to postmodernism and multiculturalism, which will inform the development of your philosophy for teaching art.

To affirm your current artistic practices and expand your studio skills for application and translation into PK-12 school settings, as well as participation in community arts events.

To consider and investigate the role of technology and new media in the professional practices of art education.

To consider the needs of all PK-12 students, including students with special needs, while studying and developing differentiated art curricula, instructional strategies, and use of age-appropriate art materials/media and technologies.

To link curriculum theory and practice by critiquing, studying, writing and implementing lesson plans and curriculum, for PK-12 school settings.

To engage with museums and cultural institutions in the professional practices of art teachers through real-time and web-based experiences with museum educators and museum/gallery exhibitions.

To meet all requirements to be eligible to apply for Massachusetts Teacher Licensure in Visual Art at the Initial Level (for either grades PK-8, or grade 5-12) through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

To complete all your coursework and academic requirements while meeting the expectations of the Tufts Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Tufts University Department of Education. This includes:

• Meeting all objectives stated on all course syllabi,
• Achieving grades of B- or higher,
• Participating in a community of scholarly collegiality and satisfying academic deadlines.

To develop and expand your professional and interpersonal competencies by demonstrating your capacity to work effectively with fellow students and educators in graduate school and PK-12 school settings. This includes establishing healthy, responsible, productive communication skills and working relationships with: students, faculty and staff at Tufts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as well as with those in your school and museum field sites: cooperating teachers, students, faculty, staff and administrators in the practicum settings. This also includes managing your own physical well-being and mental self-care in order to meet these professional and interpersonal competencies.

To develop and expand your professional competencies by demonstrating your capacity to meet all professional expectations of a teacher in a school setting including all items listed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts DESE Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Standards for Teacher Licensure of Visual Art which are articulated on the PPA (Pre-service Performance Assessment for Practicum See DESE Professional Standards for Teachers: See 603 CMR 7.08.):

Standard A – Plans Curriculum and Instruction
Standard B – Delivers Effective Instruction
Standard C – Manages Classroom Climate and Operation
Standard D – Promotes Equity
Standard E – Meets Professional Responsibilities

To be prepared for entering professional teaching communities in PK-12 schools by considering employment opportunities, job search processes, professional portfolios and interview skills.