Resume Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: Reforming Teacher Education

• Criticism of Teacher Education Programs 

According to the majority of informants, traditional methods of training teachers are no longer adequate for the needs of today’s children. Teacher education programs and their faculties were heavily criticized for a lack of awareness of, and detachment from, public schools. Many informants considered their training in colleges of education as a waste of time; some even saw it as detrimental. A recurring criticism of teacher education programs was that they were too theoretical and did not relate to the reality of the classrooms. The typical program of a year of theory prior to a few weeks of student teaching was seen as a farce. 

• Recommendations for Changes in Teacher Education

Over half of the informants recommended that the major change needed in teacher education programs was to involve students in a variety of school and community settings early in their undergraduate experience. Other suggestions included: 

1. Involve parents

2. Prepare teachers to work with diversity

3. Prepare educators to train teachers

4. Increase the range of pedagogical skills to work with diverse student populations

5. Increase understanding of the social, economic, and political realities of the profession

6. Require seminar-style lab classes

7. Increase access to and support in college.