Sunday, November 18, 2007
How to Teach Teachers: How to Know Everything
Reading Smagorinsky and Whitting, “How English Teachers Get Taught,” I become overwhelmed by the difficulty of reducing everything important, and everything is important, into a 15 week syllabus. There is no way everything a pre-service teacher needs to know before teaching can be reduced to a 15-week class. I agree with them that a focused class would be more useful in the long run than a survey course that touches on everything, yet my tendency is to want to include everything. I hope that last week in class a few parameters were laid down, like how many classes per week, how long the classes last, etc. so that I can get an idea about how much I can cram into the syllabus. I am already going to assume that the students will be willing to read quite a bit, but I am not sure what even that means. I remember vaguely my methods class, which was a short series of lessons on various techniques over a few weeks, prior to being thrown into the student teaching classroom. The class that helped me the most was the writing project I weaseled into in 1987 the year before I was first hired. The writing project gave me some things to do, and an outlook that has informed my teaching for the last twenty years. I guess that shows, as Smagorinsky and Whitting argue, for the importance of a balance of theory and practice.
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4 comments:
"There is no way everything a pre-service teacher needs to know before teaching can be reduced to a 15-week class"
I agree, so intimidating. You want to account for every moment and everyday together so that you can go deeply into the topic/s being discussed. No wonder all the syllabi say that your grade will be lowered with excessive absences. Your comment just reminds me of how heavy a role our own theory of learning will play as we create our syllabus.
It's been surprising to hear some of the discussion in class about what classes, or lack of classes, preservice teachers take. I didn't really have a methods class, but I had thousands (it felt like) classes on reading. All of the classes only grazed the surface of what it means to be an ELA teacher. Unfortunately, the school at which I did my undergrad is not exactly the best school. If I took the most important things I learned in each class, I think I could lump it all into one class. Does that make you feel any better? Good luck with your syllabus!
"The writing project gave me some things to do, and an outlook that has informed my teaching for the last twenty years."
I agree that this is a difficult task. However, you said something that made me reconsider what is most important. The writing project gave you an "outlook" that has informed your teaching. I think it is crucial that we share our "outlook". If new teachers understand that, they will more likely be able to make appropriate choices, even when they are struggling.
I was talking with some teachers this weekend about how hard teaching can be. We were wondering if teachers, like doctors, need to go through a 3-year residency program (after student teaching). Makes sense, doesn't it? However, they may have to consider raising salaries if more schooling is required.
I'm struck with how you are sharing both your sense of overwhelm in contemplating "building Rome" vis a vis the syllabus -- and your own depth-not-breadth expereince in the writing project "that has sustained my teaching for the last twenty years". Like yours, I think if we can give PTs a few generative experiences and share the point of view that when they walk out it's only the beginning -- then I think we may do justice to the methods course.
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