Student teachers must understand all the objectives of their roles as educators. Through higher education, they learn theoretical study and research teaching techniques and philosophies. They learn practical classroom skills together with the national standards required of students.
Future teachers need to be able to examine new and old educational philosophies and utilize their own experience in the classroom as they see fit. Educators are trained to develop their classroom practice around continuing research and self-assessment and to always be on the search for new studies.
Teachers who study education in college and beyond need to be lifelong learners. They can learn through new research, from colleagues and their own students. Students do teach their teachers sometimes, and there must be a teacher-student partnership in the classroom. Future teachers need to recognize the importance of using all the resources that are available to constantly re-educate themselves.
Educators must understand their role as community leaders. Students, especially children, are the future of their nations, and together with parents, teachers are critical in shaping their students' ideas, worldviews and their understanding of their place in society. Teachers must involve themselves in their communities and not shy away from being effective leaders.
Teachers are also mentors to their students. Through proper higher education, such as educational psychology classes, teachers can learn how to develop mentoring relationships with students. Teachers act as authority figures to students and help them develop intellectually. Teachers also need to recognize when their students have problems or are at risk at home, and must be willing to help guide or protect their students.
Educators need to learn how to shape their curriculum, or the courses taught at a school, to best fit the needs of their students. Most public schools have national and state standards that need to be met, but individual teachers must adapt their curriculum to help students learn the most that they can.
Teacher education must include how best to deal with students in the classroom, especially with disruptive students and students with learning difficulties. By creating the right environment, future educators learn how to set rules, speak to students and control their classes so that everyone can learn. Also, educators need to learn how to inspire and to pace themselves for demanding days.
A critical objective in teacher education is preparing future teachers regarding specific subjects and general educational standards for their students. Elementary teachers learn about children's cognitive and social development, while junior high and high school teachers hone their skills in specific subjects. Everyone studying to be a teacher must have a clear understanding of what they are teaching.
Education majors learn about student tracking, which is recognizing which students benefit from extra help and which need more challenging lessons. For example, children can be placed into special education programs to receive one-on-one attention if they have a learning disability, such as dyslexia. Some children need to be placed into gifted classes and others need classes in English for speakers of other languages.
Studying education requires future teachers to learn about overall school health and safety. General issues, such as washing hands to help to stop the spread of infectious disease, are important for all schools, and nutrition is an important subject, given the rapid growth in childhood and adolescent obesity. Teachers need basic first-aid skills and the ability to recognize illness or even abuse in their students.