Graduate students teach full time at Harlem Village Academies, applying their learning to their own classroom every day. DLI is unique in the field of teacher preparation, with expertise in deeper learning within an urban setting.
The program features:
Teachers as Intellectuals. We believe that becoming a great teacher is not about acquiring a set of techniques to be copied and repeated. It is about developing a deep understanding of learning theory, content knowledge, and pedagogical methods that can be applied in any instructional situation. You will observe, practice, reflect, revise, and learn to become a sophisticated educator, capable of making nuanced instructional decisions rather than following someone else’s script.
Exquisite Instruction. We have pioneered an ambitious educational model that cultivates quality student thinking and ethical leadership. You will learn how to spark students’ intellectual curiosity, foster authentic engagement, and facilitate cognitively demanding instruction.
Student Independence Not Compliance. For over a decade, we have developed expertise in how to create a classroom culture that fosters respectful student independence rather than compliance. You will learn how to create a joyful, orderly, warm learning environment.
Remarkable Faculty. The DLI faculty is unique in the field of teacher preparation. Professors are truly exceptional, including some of the most renowned educators in the country.
Highly Selective. Admission to DLI is highly competitive and each cohort is comprised of the best and brightest. You will be part of a close knit community and build lifelong friendships and professional relationships.
Immersion in Effective Classrooms. You will have the opportunity to observe deeper learning and study within consistently effective classrooms where our philosophy is put into practice.
Study Where You Teach: A Glorious Campus. DLI is located within a vibrant learning community of aspiring young teachers, experienced master teachers, graduate faculty, and children from Kindergarten through high school. Instead of commuting to an unrelated school, you will observe and teach in classrooms at Harlem Village Academies, in walking distance of the DLI.
