Introduction
Traditional and initial pre-service teacher education programs play an important role in preparing educators for the realities of the classroom. The program provider responsibilities include helping teacher candidates develop knowledge about content, pedagogy, and learners while at the same time nurturing dispositions that lead to a successful career. However, pre-service teachers enter education programs with existing beliefs and experiences that influence their ideas on what teaching entails. These conceptions pose a challenge to teacher education programs working to prepare teachers ready to advance teaching past wholesale, traditional approaches that fail to meet the unique needs and diverse abilities of learners (Darling-Hammond, 1996).
More issues teacher education programs face are poor reputations of having a theory-practice disconnect and a lack of impact on teacher preparedness. For example, locally in Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE, 2015) surveyed 1,036 teachers who had five or less years of experience and reported (a) 50% were not prepared to enter the classroom, (b) 42% were not prepared to address the needs of diverse learners, and (c) 49% did not know how to analyze data to set goals and plan instruction (p. 2).
Informal feedback gained through personal communication with area in-service teachers confirm that teachers believe they their preparation programs did not provide enough opportunities to practice what “real teachers” do in local diverse schools. One solution Louisiana policy makers hope to mandate is that teacher preparation programs afford opportunities for pre-service teachers to engage in longer residencies with “expert mentor teachers.” Although the solution i...
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... in a way that would qualify it as a high quality professional learning (PL). According to Desimone (2009), the essential features of professional development include: (1) active learning, (2) collective participation, (3) content focus, (4) coherence, and (5) duration over time. In addition, effective PL experiences are reflective (Caro-Bruce, Flessner, Khler, & Zeichner, 2007; Webster-Wright, 2009), relevant and situated in authentic practice (Croft, Coggshall, Dolan, Powers, & Killion, 2010; Putnam & Borko, 2000; Webster-Wright, 2009), and prove to positively affect student learning outcomes (Guskey, 2002). Finally, PL that organically emerges from practice and allows teachers to collaboratively solve problems in their practice leads to generation of knowledge and inquiry as a stance teachers take to improve practice and schooling (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999).
I can help my teachers be professional learners by using observation and evaluation processes, like those found in Danielson’s model, to promote self-assessment, reflection on practices, and professional conversations with them. The Framework can help me have honest, reflective conversations with the teachers about their instruction and I can use it as a guide to help all involved in professional development decisions. In other words, I can use such teacher evaluation models to promote active engagement and encourage professional growth in all
...to do so. Many want to know why many states ELL programs are not successful. The answer to most of such questions seems to be that no one is keeping up with the needs of an ELL population that is the fastest growing trend. Schools need to monitor their teachers and mentor them until teachers have developed enough expertise to teach a multicultural community. Also, school districts need to improve their educational approaches; using a single strategy will not help everybody. Many believe that using different tools and techniques will impact the states ELL programs tremendously. Moreover, there is enough blame to go around when it comes to the ELL programs but many believe when states evaluate their school districts and school districts train their teachers with the appropriate materials and resources, most surmise that the benefits will be realized in the classroom.
Data proves that America does not have enough African American males teaching in today’s schools. As a matter of fact, only 2% of America’s nearly five million teachers are black men (Bryan 1). In our American society, more and more African American females are fiercely taking over both public and private classrooms. Although this might be a great accomplishment, school officials believes that if more black males teach, it would reduce the numbers of minority achievement gaps and dropout rates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 44% of students nationwide are minorities, but nearly 90% of teachers are white. Polls and surveys further read that if there were more African American male teachers, the dropout rate would decrease while the graduation rate increases. In urban societies most African American teens would be more likely to succeed if there were more black males instructing secondary classrooms.
During Teach For America's first year of operation, the organization received applications from 2,500 candidates and chose 500 of them to become teachers for the program who began their two-year teaching commitment in low-income communities all across the cou...
However, in order to improve the current issue of poverty on diverse students the state of Louisiana should implement professional training for educators before entering the workplace. This will be an additional cost to the educator’s college tuition and all colleges and universities within the state with education curricula will have to guarantee that their programs are demanding, challenging, and practical; in order to make new educators that have the quality needed to assist all culturally diverse pupils. In addition, to training time and money, and training are also needed to generate an improved quality of education for diverse pupils in Louisiana. Schools in Louisiana that currently have staff whom are trained should also implement working with Save the Children on a monthly basis after faculty meetings on campus. This plan will help raise enrollment rates so that students of all cultural backgrounds within the state get back in school, obtain a quality education, and be successful. It will also show support for the Save the Children program and service getting the word out about the program for other states whom may not be aware of it. Louisiana schools will also work with their parent teacher associations and parent teacher organizations to help get the word about Save the Children out; gaining donations from the community for the
The Conceptual Framework created for the SUNY Cortland teacher candidates is important for many reasons. It was important for the campus to create a “College-wide shared vision for teacher education” (CF 3) as they prepared for their NCATE accreditation. The college wanted to make sure that the framework formed a true representation of their program goals, identity, and beliefs. This conceptual framework is important for the individual candidate because it is used to guide, and provide “a sound foundation for assessment”(CF 7). As stated on page 11 of the framework, “SUNY Cortland is dedicated to developing candidates’ knowledge, integrity, professional standards and commitment to their future students and school community”. This is very important as every piece of the statement can go hand-in-hand with the NAEYC Standards. The Conceptual Framework is also important for candidates as it sets to build three key components in each individual. These components are personal responsibility, social justice, and global understanding. What is also unique about the Conceptual Framework is that it is seen as a “living document”, meaning that it has the ability to be changed whenever change is needed, and whenever we uncover new discoveries of early childhood development. My intention in writing this paper is to gain a better understanding of what is expected from me as a candidate in a SUNY Cortland education program. I hope that I will be able to take the information that I learn from the Conceptual Framework and use it in my future teaching.
Several of the major reform initiatives of the 1980s and early 1990s argued that improving education requires improving teacher quality and, accordingly, teacher education. Numerous changes in teacher recruitment, preparation, and certification were proposed. (For a detailed list, see Hartley, Mantle-Bromley, and Cobb 1996.) In response to the calls for reform, general teacher education programs raised admission standards/exit requirements; revised curricula to reflect multiculturalism and new K-12 standards; paid more attention to pedagogy, teaching practice, and relevance; included clinical experiences in public schools and other learning environments; and proposed new model standards/principles for licensing beginning teachers (Lynch 1997).
Quality training and instruction is a critical factor for educators, more specifically those who belong to minority ethnic groups. As the PK-12 population continues to increase in the number of minority students, education programs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities have become a focal point of education reform. In “Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Teacher Education Reform”, Mary E. Dilworth inadvertently poses the question what have Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) done to improve the presence and retention of minority teachers in the classroom. According to Dilworth, minority students are inclined to prosper under the guidance of someone who has similar racial or ethical backgrounds (as cited in Goldhaber and Hansen, 2010). The increase of minority students in PK-12 classrooms validates the need for a greater number of minority educators. At roughly sixteen percent, a significant decrease from the twenty six percent years ago, the presence of minority educators in the classroom is considerably low. Although education programs of HBCU’s have thrived and introduced minority educators to the classroom, efforts and goals of these institutions have failed to prepare educators for a successful occupancy in the classroom.
On average, minorities attend schools that have less-experienced, lower-paid teachers who are less likely to be certified, poor graduation records, and high poverty rates. Many studies suggest that racial diversity is the key to...
There are many challenges that teachers encounter when teaching children with learning disabilities, learners that are English language learners, or learners who are culturally and linguistically diverse. As a nation we are faced with the challenged that our schools are becoming more diverse. The majority of our schoolteachers are still predominately white females, but our student population is slowly changing. We are seeing more minority groups in our schools that are facing different challenges. The scary part of it all is that our teachers do not have the skills to accommodate those differences. “The nation’s changing school demographics are creating a demand for new teaching skills” (Utley, Obiakor, & Bakken 2011, pg. 5). Our student population
As an education major at State College, I’ve decided to become a teacher for several reasons. As I progressed through elementary, middle, and high school, many of my teachers were great role models for me. This has inspired me to become a role model for someone in the near future. My love for science and math has also influenced my desire to teach and make a difference in a child’s life. I want to teach students the subjects that I love so much. I want the feeling that I helped a child accomplish or learn something they couldn’t understand. One of the main reasons I want to become an educator is because I feel education has really lost teachers who truly love teaching and those who truly love teaching and those who have the desire to make a difference. I feel I can really help make a difference in the education world and bring back the love to teach.
Professional development is a component of being a highly effective teacher. Danielson and Garmston expressed the need for teachers to continue to learn new skills, show professionalism, and complete self-reflections. The teacher, as a role model, must demonstrate a love for learning by continuing to grow and develop. The students will learn to be life-long learners when their teacher demonstrates the same skill.
...ng with and honoring all students whether it is intrinsic or extrinsic, professional development should be adequate.
President George Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act” fails to focus on the recruitment and diversity within the profession. He sets a goal for the year 2005 for every classroom to have a quality teacher but no goal for retaining these teachers. The improvement of the profession requires a national step-by-step effort. The purpose of this paper was to gather and explore information on the teaching profession and with it explore the shortage within in order to educate and strike up reform. It is clear, that reform will require a lot of time and money. The end product however, will show success within the profession thereby equaling success in the classroom. Success comes when present in the classrooms are caring and committed teachers, all with the goal of education and diversity is among them. .
In recent years, the cliché image of a teacher has come under attach. Research has shown that teachers often work in an isolated setting in which they are considered experts in their specific area; however they often lack the support and equipment needed to do their jobs effectively. As a result, to the inadequate working environment new teachers often leave the profession within the first five years. These conditions often exist because the educational system fails to prepare our teachers with the proper tools and experience needed to do their job well (U.S. Department of Education, 2010).