I think that North Carolina is onto something when it comes to school reform. North Carolina’s governor. J.B. Hunt is the son of a teacher and trained to be a teacher himself. I think this makes him understand the state of education much better since he has been around it all his life. As governor, he reformed the standards for teachers starting at the college level. By doing this, the universities and colleges were able to produce teachers who were able to teach to a higher standard. When I was in college, I thought the teaching program lacked certain instruction if you were getting a specialized degree. As a double education major (p.e. and special ed.), I did not have to take any methods classes to teach the academics. When I asked if I could, my two advisors questioned why I would think that was important. Needless to say, when I became a special ed. teacher, I did a lot of catching up on my own because I felt I lacked the skills to effectively remediate students in reading, writing and math.
Also, since I teach locally, I am able to have practicum students in my classroom from the University. These students come with all sorts of ability levels and desires to teach. It is fun to work with these students, helping them to increase their skills and confidence in a classroom setting. It is also stressful when one comes in that does not meet expectations and having to be honest when it is time to evaluate them. On the one hand, if they really want to teach they are open to constructive criticism and strive to become better teachers. On the other hand, if it isn’t meant to be, then it is better to find out sooner instead of later. Fortunately, we are only a part of the process and not the final decision.
All-in-all, school reform needs to happen at all levels. Where this circle starts is a mystery. Does it start with the public schools that give our future teachers their foundation and dreams to become the next generation of educators, or is at the college level where skills are learned to go out to the public schools to train the next generation of educators? Wherever it starts, having elected officials behind you, supporting you and valuing what you do enough to make changes that make sense is a better place to be.
I found your comment on not feeling qualified to teach certain areas intriguing because of lack of training. I didn’t realize until after I graduated and started teaching that special and general education classes were treated as separate entities during my preservice years. You took separate classes and did not mix. It is treated as if the general education teachers will teacher the ‘general’ population and the special education teachers will handle their own students. Which to me is sooooo wrong.
ReplyDeleteIf we want to beef up our teacher education problems then we must bring these two subjects together and make them one. Both general and special education teachers teach. They both need to have pedagogical skills and background in education. They both will be working with students who have special needs, some more drastic than others. And they are both going to be held accountable for test scores. So why aren’t we education them together. For all teachers to feel more prepared when they walk into their first class they need to have knowledge in teaching in both the general and special education areas.
Bre,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it ironic that we don't take classes together and yet we have what I call, "joint custody" of these kids? Go figure!