The answer to American education is teacher preparation. How can we help students learn if we feel that we are not prepared to teach after stepping out of four long years of college? Adelle showed us stats on how many teachers felt unprepared coming out of college going into there first year of teaching. I personally felt that BG prepared me very well, along with Lindsey and Megan stating that BW prepared them. But what about the teachers who aren't prepared who have spent all that money on an education? Linda Darling-Hammond states that changes in course taking, curriculum content, testing or textbooks make little difference if teachers do not know how to use these tools properly to diagnose students learning needs (Holland). Which makes sense. We are taught all of these concepts and ideas in college but are we really showed how to use them effectively and in a variety of ways to help our students succeed? I came out of college feeling ready to get in the classroom and teach. But there are those who don't.
After listening to Strickland's plan again, I had time to rethink his idea about teacher preparation, in that new teachers out of college should be required to intern for four years before receiving a permanent position. I do feel it would provide first year teachers with much more preparation than what some of us had in our four years of college. But this plan brings also about several questions. Will these graduates have to pay for this program? Will they get paid for four years of teaching? Will they have their own classrooms? Or will it be similar to a student teaching experience in college? I would like to know more about this part of his plan.
Colleges do need to change some things in the curriculum for education. I do feel that more field experiences should be implemented in the area of expertise. I felt that I did a lot more pre-school practicums and observations than I did in the public school setting with students I would be licensed to teach. I also think that the core curriculum classes should be cut down, and more speciality classes dealing with education should be implemented. We need all the experience we can get in order to be considered when we are on market for a job. School after school turn down candidates who have just graduated because they have no experience or not enough. How are they supposed to get experience if not a soul will give them an opportunity in their school system?
Who knows, maybe Strickland's idea on a teacher internship after college will ensure that new teachers receive jobs that they deserve, due to their dedication and hard work. I believe it has much potential to succeed.
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Colleges and Universities should prepare education majors with mandatory requirements for field experience. This is a vital ingredient for making a successful, well prepared teacher. Someone in our class stated that they felt their undergraduate experience best prepared them for teaching because from the very start of their college course work, they were placed in the classroom. They stated that it helped weed out those students who discovered that the teaching profession was not for them. Better to thrust college students into the school environment early, so they can really see what is required to be a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is a good idea put college students into the school environment early. In college I began field experiences freshman year. My field experiences really helped me to see that I wanted to be a teacher. Even with field experiences and student teaching I still think that it is very important that new teachers have an experienced teacher who can mentor them. I would like to see if Strickland's internship idea would work.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to hear that you had an enjoyable experience as I did not. I was attending O.S.U. when they decided to make their program a five year with a masters degree. Anyone who was working on their Pre k -3 graduated with a degree in child and family studies without the additional licensure. I had to come home and start back up at Ashland. I got hired as a kindergarten teacher that same year in a public school system. There was no one assigned to mentor me ever. From what I see now i would have loved to have been in some type of program that focuses on education only. I took so many classes that were ridiculous and a complete waste of my time and money.I definately agree that the education programs in college need to be revamped.I almost lost interest and quit the profession but my dedication paid off since i will be graduating this summer. Thanks for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteI would also be interested to see if students would be paid during this 4 year internship. Doctors during their residency are paid, not as much but they still receive a pay check. The other fact I would be interested in finding out is how will this translate in terms of paying student loans back? Will they be placed on hold while you are doing your internship? Or will they be required to be paid once you are done with your course work? The other thing that I like that is being done is the field experiences as freshman. However, these field experience's are not really monitored and would serve a better purpose if they were connected with a class. Where you receive a grade for implementing what you have learned in your preparation course.
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