Professional Development Program

Program Cohorts

At SFU, we believe that teaching is fundamentally grounded in relationships.

That is why the Professional Development Program (PDP) is designed to help student teachers develop strong relational practices.

Throughout the program, student teachers work in small cohorts called Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Modules. Within this model, student teachers have extended opportunities to build professional working relationships with their peers, teacher educators, and practicing K-12 teachers. The PDP uses highly-skilled, seconded teachers and tenure-track Education Faculty as teacher educators.

Professional Learning Communities

During the first semester (EDUC 400), student teachers become part of a Professional Learning Community. A PLC is a small group of student teachers who work closely with an instructional team to explore foundational themes, begin their guided inquiry, and participate in focused learning experiences in educational communities.

Some PLCs are based in Surrey and others in Burnaby. We take into account student campus preference as indicated during the application process.

Note: French and ITEM student teachers are placed together in their own PLCs during the 400 semester.

Modules

From the second semester (EDUC 401/402) onwards, student teachers become a member of a Module. A Module is a small group of student teachers who work with dedicated teacher educators to focus on the integration of theory and practice. The PDP offers a variety of Modules, each with a different theme. All address the core matters of diversity, equity, indigeneity, literacy, numeracy, ecology, technology, artistry and creativity, and health and physical activity.

Please see our Module and Placement FAQs for more information.