Education – Professor: Elementary Pedagogical Specialist

Education – Open Rank Professor:
Elementary Pedagogical Specialist

Position Title Education – Open Rank Professor:
Elementary Pedagogical Specialist

The Hope College Education Department invites applications for an open-rank, tenure-track position in the Elementary (PK-3 & 3-6) program, with an emphasis on curriculum instruction and teacher education, beginning in the Fall 2027 semester. We seek candidates who will effectively teach the Elementary Capstone course, which is a 6-credit course that students take right before student teaching. It includes a 50-hour clinical experience, the longest in the program, during which students plan and teach lessons (many for the first time) in math, science, and social studies.

The goal of this course is to prepare students for student teaching. As the culminating course in the elementary sequence, students pull together and practice standards-based education, curriculum analysis and development, integration, differentiation, data-driven instruction, and assessment. Students are encouraged to articulate their vision of teaching, which is captured in their portfolios, which this course spends considerable time developing. Practice-teaching is a cornerstone of this course as students rehearse instructional strategies and receive feedback both in class and through GoReact (a video platform used throughout the Education department).

They also practice enacting the four Core Teaching Practices mandated by the Michigan Department of Education, which they will be assessed on during student teaching.

Responsibilities include teaching multiple sections of this undergraduate course, advising teacher candidates, researching in a related educational field, fostering positive relationships and partnerships with local schools in and around the Greater Holland Community, and actively participating in college and departmental service, including serving on the elementary and accreditation teams. Rank is open and determined by experience in higher education, compensation is determined by rank.

The Hope College Education Department consists of a dynamic group of 14 faculty and three support staff. The department offers certification in Elementary (including a minor in Early Childhood Education) and Secondary with endorsements in Special Education (LD and EI) and ESL. The State of Michigan consistently ranks Hope’s teacher education program as one of the top-tier teacher education programs in Michigan.

The Hope College Education Department has full national accreditation.

Is this a visiting faculty position?

Is this a visiting faculty position? No

Rank Open

General qualifications include a valid teaching certificate in elementary education, a record of excellence in teaching and scholarly activity, knowledge and skills in curriculum, instruction, and assessment, application of technology for instruction, effective interpersonal and communication skills, and a commitment to diversity in education. To be considered for this position, candidates must have a Ph.D. or E.D., a focused research agenda, and teaching expertise.

The successful candidate will have a solid grasp of teacher education. Because this course encompasses both content and skills development, the instructor needs a particular set of knowledge and skills. Being an effective teacher is not enough, as learning to teach in this way requires familiarity with certain conceptual frameworks and pedagogies. The person hired for this position needs an understanding of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), which is a specialized type of knowledge that focuses on knowing both what to teach and how to teach it in ways that make sense to specific learners.

It enables teachers to anticipate student misconceptions, choose appropriate explanations, and adapt their teaching to the specific demands of the content. Instructors pull all of these elements together by engaging in Practice-based Teacher Education, which allows new teachers to enact rigorous instructional methods that they might not be able to do on their own, with support and feedback from more knowledgeable others.

This…