In order for reflective communities of practice to work as a major component of teacher preparation programs, there must be well-crafted activities that serve to bridge the space between the theory and the praxis of teaching. Teacher candidates must be allowed to become culturally responsive and sustaining teachers in ways that are as authentic as possible, without the threat of putting vulnerable students in harm’s way. The work that some teacher preparation programs have been doing to approximate the work of teaching for teacher candidates is very ripe for exploration. Teaching approximations allow for teacher educators to create and/or replicate commonly occurring teaching scenarios for use with teacher candidates as they study, …show more content…
If used as assessments, teacher preparation programs may be able to do a better job of noting candidates who might be more effective with particular groups of people, and making career recommendations that truly result in cultural synchronicity, and the potential retention of teachers of color in the classroom. Systemic Use of Immersion Programs: Finally, teacher preparation programs must address field experiences. The idea of integrating coursework and field experiences is not new for teacher preparation programs. It has been happening for decades. However, the connections typically made between coursework and field experience are technical in nature. Teacher candidates learn methods for teaching subject area knowledge, or for managing classrooms, and are then sent to schools to practice those methods on real students. In these instances, schools are considered sites for practice, not sites for study. Schools are presented as natural and fixed. Teacher candidates learn how to function within schools as they currently are, and behave like the teachers who are already there. This approach does nothing more than perpetuate the status quo. What would be more effective is recasting schools not as entities in
During the months of September and October this semester I spent time at two different schools in four different classrooms. Being able to observe different classes and teachers at Westside Junior High and South Live Oak Elementary was a very new and exciting experience for me since I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. My experiences at these schools gave me a better insight into the differences between schools, classrooms, and teachers. The purpose of this field experience was to get 10 observation or tutoring hours in an elementary or junior high setting. I chose to observe a
I plan on obtaining my Ph.D. in Management with a specialization in leadership and organizational change in four years. My educational goals are as follows: to receive the advanced essential training in qualitative research methods to strengthen my researcher and give a theoretical base to my work, secondly I would like to gain insight in quantitative research in order to become a well balanced
Ohio’s Educator Standard one is one of the most important educator standards that a teacher should become familiar with and follow because it is the bases of how students learn. You cannot expect a chef to make dinner without them first knowing how to follow a recipe or use a range. The same principle goes for the students in our classes. You must understand child development for the age you are teaching and show respect for all the differences your students’ exhibit in order to help everyone grow and meet learning expectations.
The differences were connected with a teacher’s original preparation for the teaching profession, licensing in the particular subject area to be taught, strength of the educational experience, and the degree of experience in teaching along with the demonstration of abilities through the National Board Certification, in which all of these facets can be addressed through policy (Darling-Hammond, 2010).America has not produced a national method containing supports and reasons to guarantee that teachers’ are adequately prepared and equipped to teach all children effectively when they first enter into the career of teaching. America also does not have a vast collection of methods available that will maintain the evaluation and continuing development of a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom, or support decisions about entry into the field of teaching and the continuance in the profession of teaching (Darling-Hammond, 2010). n order to reach the belief that all students will be taught and learn to high standards calls for a makeover in the methods our system of education in order to be a magnet for, train, support or uphold, and cultivate effective teachers in more efficient ways. A makeover that is contingent in a certain degree of how the abilities or skills are comprehended (Darling-Hammond, 2010).In the last few years there has been increasing
Teaching is an extremely important profession as we are responsible for training up the future generations of our community, country and in effect, the world. In order to be a successful and effective teacher there are some basic skills and competencies that one must possess. The experiences that students have inside (and outside) our classrooms, schools and various other institutes will shape and mould their approach to our subjects and to life in general. Therefore, it requires a certain level of skill and training to be deemed professionally fit to enter into this career path and even then, continuous
American Federation of Teachers, also known as AFT was founded in 1916 and today represents 1.6 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide, founded in Chicago by President Samuel Gompers. (“About”) The AFT also represents 80,000 early childhood educators and about 250,000 retiree members. (“About”) AFT targets to help students, families, and communities to target fairness, democracy, economic opportunity, high-quality public education, healthcare and public services. (“Mission”) The organization and members advance these principles through engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism. (“Mission”) The AFT addresses multiple issues that they believe has an importance to the union and our country,
My immediate goal after graduation is to prepare myself in the strongest way possible for successful entry and progression in a MD/PhD program. After exploring the Case Western Reserve University website, I firmly believe that the PREP program will equip me with all the tools I need to flourish in the field of medical science. The mentors in the PREP program are all amazing scientists and after reading a few of the goals of their labs, I aspire to develop the same dedication, knowledge, and achievement. I currently want to know more about how genetics is being applied to medical research, and I was especially elated to read of the work taking place in Dr. Mark Jackson’s lab. The creation of a genetically engineered breast cancer model being used to learn more about tumor suppressor genes and their interaction with oncogenes is amazing to me. I want to learn more about the process of creating similar models and using it to answer highly relevant questions. I’m also very curious about the VBIM strategy that is being used and developed to identify new genetic elements important to cancer formation. It is a technique that I would love the opportunity to better understand and utilize through the PREP program.
This assignment describes my own Professional Development Plan (PDP) for the first six months of my nurse registration. Following a PDP will show my commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), otherwise known as PREP (CPD). PREP stands for Post-Registration Education and Practice and is a set of Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards and guidance that help nurses give the best possible care (NMC PREP Handbook 2006 p3); part of which is a commitment to CPD. CPD is a process of learning activities designed for individuals to reach their full potential, so they provide the highest possible standards of patients care (NMC PREP Handbook 2006 p9). By following a PDP I will develop my knowledge, understanding
The West Fargo Public School system is not only the fastest growing school district in the State of North Dakota, it is also one of the most innovative and creative. The district’s Mission is “Educating today’s learners for tomorrow’s world”. Teachers employed by the district take this Mission statement to heart and live it in their own lives. To them, education is a lifelong process, not just something everyone experiences between the ages of 5-17. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that this past summer 20 elementary and secondary teachers began a 20 month educational journey by enrolling in West Fargo’s second Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA). The Academy is a collaborative effort between West Fargo Public Schools and North Dakota State University’s Educational Leadership Program. The 20 teachers began their journey this summer and will be meeting during the school year every-other Wednesday after school. At the end of five semesters they will be awarded the Masters of Education (M. Ed.) degree. Some of the unique features of the Teacher Leadership Academy are: a) rather than traveling to campus for their coursework, Academy students are taught at the district’s Leidal Education Center, b) classes are facilitated by not only university professors, but the district’s two assistant superintendents [Dr. Allen Burgad and Mrs. Beth Slette], and c) course assignments are focused around the district’s initiatives and strategic plan.
One of the largest problems with education in the United States is teacher retention (McLaurin, Smith, & Smillie, 2009). Some remaining challenges in education is the loss of new teachers during their first years in the profession (Nelson, Duke, Hutchens, & Machell, 2014). Teacher preparation programs have been found to be significantly related to teacher quality (Katitia, 2015). Teacher quality is known as the primary force in student learning outcomes (Ring & West , 2015).
This article whose focus was on minority teacher candidates in teacher education programs presented an argument that schools with increased numbers of minority teachers will have a richer multicultural knowledge base, stronger roles models, and more shared experiences between students and teachers, and greater numbers of insider experiences that help build bridges between cultures (Szecsi & Spillman, 2012). The article touched on a few of the “hindrances”, like low pay and standardized test difficulties, but the purpose the article was to help readers gain an understanding of how minorities in teacher education programs feel about their journey to becoming a teacher. The article showcased a study of three minority students in a teacher education
Developing assessments that align with core language instruction will assist English learners in progressing the skills needed to acquire English. As I interviewed each of my colleagues, I was able to gain a better understanding of how to assess while providing quality instruction to my English learners.
In addressing the key concerns of teacher recruitment and retention, the GYO programs focus on the recruitment of community residents with roots in the local area, and focus on intensive mentoring of the program participants. Mentoring was found to be a key component of the programs with college level mentors helping program students achieve certification, and mentors in the schools helping them adjust to their new positions. By recruiting locally and focusing the teacher preparation programs on rural education, the evaluation concluded the GYO programs were highly supportive of key issues of recruitment and retention. Strong partnerships between the GYO programs and local school districts are also credited with helping both recruitment and mentoring of program students.
The teacher I interviewed has taught for more than ten years at the same school. She started as a fourth grade teacher but she now works as an interventionist.
This reflection paper addresses as a student and counseling professional how I feel as though I have been readily prepared to teach in higher education and areas, concepts, strategies, and thoughts on how I have evolved through this course. This course has made me think more into how the most powerful, durable, and effective agents of educational change are not the policy makers, the curriculum developers or even the education authorities themselves; they are the teachers. It further contends that the quality of the educational changes that teachers have the skills and opportunities to effect will only be as reliable and proficient as the teachers’ individual capacities for reflective practice and the development of self-knowledge (Stepien, 1999). These aspects of teacher development have, historically, been largely overlooked in the preparation and promotion of effective teachers. The emphasis has been more explicitly focused on the development and demonstration of teachers’ understanding of content knowledge and the associated pedagogies and in their capacities to understand their students as individual constructors of knowledge in diverse social contexts (Bosworth, 1999).