ABSTRACT

The work of improving teacher preparation for success in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms will understandably vary across program models but is presently a well-recognized priority among teacher preparation (Brisk, 2008). We strongly advocate that this timely aim should be viewed as both vital and achievable irrespective of the teacher education program in which preservice candidates are prepared. At the University of Connecticut (UConn), our efforts in this realm have involved teacher education faculty in both our Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IBM) program as well as faculty in our one-year intensive master’s program (Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates [TCPCG]). Drawing on our experiences from our teacher education programs, this chapter will explore the overarching question: Regardless of the constraints of specific program models as well as common programmatic challenges such as accreditation, how can faculty improve teacher preparation for linguistic and cultural diversity?