MAKING THE BEST OF A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

Backes, Charles E. ; Backes, Lora S.

CREATING VALUABLE AND PRODUCTIVE STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCES MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD PREPARING NEW TEACHERS--AND KEEPING THEM IN THE TEACHING FIELD.

Did you know that nearly 30 percent of all new teachers quit before they hit the five-year mark? In March, Education Week reported that the results of a study by University of Georgia researcher Richard Ingersoll, which have not been published yet, "jibe well with earlier estimates" that up to one-third of new teachers quit within their first five years.

Why are new teachers leaving? Ingersoll notes that a good number have left because of job dissatisfaction. We suspect many in that group didn't get a top-notch student teaching experience and therefore never felt comfortable in the classroom. In preservice training, the student teaching experience (or at some institutions, cooperative or practice teaching) may be the most important step toward preparing new teachers for classrooms of their own. Just as many career and technical education students learn best through hands-on learning, new teachers also must have effective, hands-on experiences to prepare them for successful careers. Here are 10 strategies we've put to good use as supervisors of student teachers.

1. Share your experiences with the student teacher, but allow for personal experiences. When the student is beginning to teach a lesson, it's only natural for supervisors to want to critique the activity he has chosen. But it's best to offer advice and suggestions, then allow the student to try his own ideas. Student teaching is a series of successes and failures, and students must learn for themselves what works and doesn't work--and in which classroom settings.

2. Treat the student as an equal. Student teachers generally know their place in the classroom--it's a gray area somewhere between being partly responsible for the class and instruction and truly being in charge. Unfortunately, students in the class also are aware of the student teacher's precarious position of responsibility. Students' acceptance of student teachers' authority and expertise is directly related to how supervising teachers introduce them to the class. Student teachers should be presented and treated as part of the instructional team. You may even consider introducing the student teacher as a teacher "on loan" from the college or university. Never correct or question the student teacher in front of students. If a behavior is undesirable, the supervising teacher should wait until after the class leaves before confronting the student teacher. If a behavior is dangerous in some way, the supervising teacher should call for a break and discuss it with the student teacher in private.

3. Model any behavior you want the student teacher to imitate. The supervising teacher is under the student teacher's watchful eye throughout most of the school day. This is a valuable opportunity for supervising teachers to monitor their own daily behavior and set a good professional example.

4. Allow enough time for the student teacher to feel comfortable with your classroom procedures before expecting him to assume responsibility for the class. How soon should you give a student teacher the responsibility of taking over the class? First, give student teachers time to observe and become familiar with classroom routines, responsibilities, schedules and student personalities. Ease the student teacher in gradually by increasing the time she spends in front of the class each day. Students in the class will have an easier time accepting and respecting student teachers as part of the instructional team if their first few lessons are high quality.

5. Provide emotional support and give encouragement freely. On Monday mornings, take time to discuss issues that are important in the upcoming week. Share your expectations with the student teacher so he can be prepared and organized. Listen to any concerns or comments the student teacher has and try to offer advice or possible solutions. Give simple words of encouragement each day.

6. Create a comfortable learning environment for the class. Students shouldn't view student teachers as a second set of eyes keeping watch over them. They need to be able to trust the student teacher. Provide a desk and work area for the student teacher and allow him to interact with students just as a regular teacher would.

7. Give feedback on a consistent basis. Supervising teachers should provide consistent verbal and written feedback throughout the experience. Verbal feedback should come naturally throughout the day. Written feedback, which can be formal or informal, documents the student teacher's progress, noting specific strengths and weaknesses. Set up a system for giving regular written feedback, perhaps daily or weekly. Supervising teachers should give student teachers time to review their comments and talk though any concerns later. Be specific with constructive criticism and offer suggestions for improvement. Most college programs require a midterm and final grade. Be sure to address any problems well in advance of either of these so the student teacher has a chance to remedy them.

8. Work as a team to correct weaknesses in the student teacher's skills. Supervising teachers who criticize but fail to help solve problems are not doing their jobs completely. Probably the most important part is working with a student teacher to improve her skills. Any teaching deficiencies the student needs to work on should be put in writing. Be sure to note precisely when problems occurred--during a specific skill demonstration, for example. Then the supervising teacher and student teacher should collaborate on a plan for improvement and set a time for follow-up.

9. Encourage the student teacher to get involved in professional activities outside the classroom. Supervising teachers can help student teachers get a more complete feeling for what the job is really like by encouraging (or requiring) them to attend faculty meetings and parent conferences. If the supervising teacher participates in an after-school activity--as the DECA sponsor or varsity soccer coach, for instance--she should encourage the student teacher to participate. This also will give the supervising teacher the opportunity to observe how the student teacher interacts with students and faculty in different professional settings. Encourage student teachers to join professional associations, like the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), that offer reduced student membership fees.

10. Seek support and resources from university personnel throughout the student teaching experience. Supervising teachers should never hesitate to contact the university supervisor or faculty during the student teaching experience. In addition to providing feedback about the student, university faculty also can help find information on upcoming workshops or conferences the student can attend.

For the sake of career and technical education's future, make it a professional goal to do your part to curb the teacher attrition rate. If your school does not participate in student teaching experiences with the local college or university, schedule a meeting with your administrator to inquire about the possibilities. Or consider starting a mentoring program for teachers who are new to your school. We're wasting valuable talent if effective teachers are leaving the profession within a couple of years of starting. In the long run, it will be the future workforce that loses out.

Charles Backes is an associate professor of vocational education at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga. Lora Backes is an assistant professor of special education and communication disorders at Valdosta State.