John, I’m sure you and many readers know the literature on teacher preparation far, far better than I and may find my comment way off the mark, but I had to respond to the suggestion that placement would be in these wonderful sites employing effective instruction. I know these placements exist in many locations, but one of my frustrations was not believing they are the typical preservice placement. Thus, on this stormy day in the New York area, I had to vent that frustration.
Alas, in my limited exposure and experience, one of the weaknesses in our teacher preparation is field placement, student teaching, or whatever it may be called. For one, if one of the reasons that special education is not working well, my logic suggests, is that some of the problem emanates from happens or doesn’t happen in the classroom. Thus, putting a preservice teacher into a failing classroom to model failing teacher behaviors may only perpetuates the failure.
In my world, a few hundred student teachers each semester coming from about 8-10 colleges or universities would be placed in one of the 125 or so school districts within our geographic area. And those districts agreed to accept student teachers, I might guess, for several reasons, 1) most nobly, to support the profession, 2) to maintain a good relationship with the college, 3) to provide their staff with a broadening of their classroom roles (or get the very meager compensation offered) or 4) regrettably, to gain an additional body to help with a needy teacher in the school at no cost. Thus, specific placement in a school was determined by that school with little or no input from the college and the very, very infrequent contact with the college faculty did little to alter that placement.
Hopefully, you’ll tell me I’m incorrect and the sun will come out tomorrow!
Ahhh, buddy. Sadly, you are right about so many of the problems with field placements. I had a terrible time finding good ones during my time, and my neighborhood wasn't as saturated as yours. Indeed, that difficulty is one of the reasons I was suggesting forming partnerships with a very few schools rather than continuing the ineffective processes that you accurately described. Sigh.
Don't get blown or washed away by the storms in your neck of the woods.
John, I’m sure you and many readers know the literature on teacher preparation far, far better than I and may find my comment way off the mark, but I had to respond to the suggestion that placement would be in these wonderful sites employing effective instruction. I know these placements exist in many locations, but one of my frustrations was not believing they are the typical preservice placement. Thus, on this stormy day in the New York area, I had to vent that frustration.
Alas, in my limited exposure and experience, one of the weaknesses in our teacher preparation is field placement, student teaching, or whatever it may be called. For one, if one of the reasons that special education is not working well, my logic suggests, is that some of the problem emanates from happens or doesn’t happen in the classroom. Thus, putting a preservice teacher into a failing classroom to model failing teacher behaviors may only perpetuates the failure.
In my world, a few hundred student teachers each semester coming from about 8-10 colleges or universities would be placed in one of the 125 or so school districts within our geographic area. And those districts agreed to accept student teachers, I might guess, for several reasons, 1) most nobly, to support the profession, 2) to maintain a good relationship with the college, 3) to provide their staff with a broadening of their classroom roles (or get the very meager compensation offered) or 4) regrettably, to gain an additional body to help with a needy teacher in the school at no cost. Thus, specific placement in a school was determined by that school with little or no input from the college and the very, very infrequent contact with the college faculty did little to alter that placement.
Hopefully, you’ll tell me I’m incorrect and the sun will come out tomorrow!
Ahhh, buddy. Sadly, you are right about so many of the problems with field placements. I had a terrible time finding good ones during my time, and my neighborhood wasn't as saturated as yours. Indeed, that difficulty is one of the reasons I was suggesting forming partnerships with a very few schools rather than continuing the ineffective processes that you accurately described. Sigh.
Don't get blown or washed away by the storms in your neck of the woods.