Teacher training: what's the best way?

Barack Obama in his years in Chicago worked with Bill Ayers on improving education in Chicago, something that was lost in the campaign noise. He has strong feelings on improving the quality of American education, one of his three main domestic priorities: energy, education and healthcare.

Budgetary constrainst may be the thing holding him back.

Right now there are many 'education' programs that teach little beyond pedagogy. I worked in the education advising office at UNLV a number of years ago and was appalled at the minimal amount of actual subject area knowledge the students were required to complete. Pedagogy is important, but it shouldn't replace content knowledge.

Programs should be consistent across the nation, imo. Right now they vary too much. Some states do require a 'regular' degree with additional training to teach - others require a degree in education, with content jammed in at the edges, and still others use a half-and-half approach.

I like the idea of OJT - but the way it is designed, many times trainee teachers are reduced to penury during their apprenticeship because of restrictions on how much they can work outside the classroom. In some states, this apprenticeship is considered part of the degree program and student teachers aren't paid at all.

It's California style, as well.

BA in something; often liberal arts for multiple subject people, or the subject to be licensed for, for single-subject credentials.

Mine was social sciences, which makes me qualified to teach history single-subject, as well as holding a multiple-subject credential.

Then 39 post grad ed units plus 18 weeks of student teaching. And passing the current flavor of the year in tests, which were Praxis exams for me.

We have interns, who are seniors in college, spend their senior year as a full time teacher. There is a mentor assigned to work with them. They have to agree to teach in our district for 2 years. They get a place to live, stipend pay and help paying off student loans.

We have had 5 interns in 4 years. One quit at Christmas and the rest all stayed. And they are all great teachers. One of them won a statewide award for first year teachers. She is outstanding.

One left after her 2 years were up. One will leave at the end of this year; she was with us for 3 years and is getting married and moving away.

The other two are still with us and I hope they stay.

District wide, the interns almost always leave after their 2 year gig.

(I don't know how it is now) Elementary school teachers were trained in a "teachers school". This was about three years long. Educationally speaking the requirements were fairly low and one could become a teacher by age 19. To my way of thinking there is an advantage to this. It sets the tone for simpler classrooms. The teacher is fairly close to the students not like someone who has a Masters and teaches first grade.

In elementary school I had a total of six teachers. One was bad and was gotten rid of. The Best Teacher I had was in 6th grade and she was 21 years old.

She was a nun. They let nuns teach as soon as they joined the convent back then.

In my experience, there is not enough practical in-classroom time for prospective teachers.

Part of the problem is that student-teaching is unpaid.

I had to quit my paying job, and cash in my retirement fund to pay rent, etc., and health insurance for the 6 months it took to do both rounds of student teaching and the hiring process.

What do I think the "best" way would be?

A BA in liberal arts for elementary-bound teachers, in a single subject for 2ndary bound.

A Masters in curriculum and instruction (or some other appropriate branch of education.)

A preliminary license, with legislation and funding requiring schools to hire a certain # of preliminary teachers. To spend a period of 2-3 years doing student teaching at least two different school sites.

Half a year each in two different classes/grade levels per school.

With some of that time spent substituting in other classes. Reduces costs on outside subs, puts someone who knows the school in place, and gives the preliminary teacher a flavor for many other classrooms, ages, students, etc..

All with pay and benefits. Evaluated like all student teachers, with passing evaluations required to gain the permanent license.

in a two-year program.

The first year was a half day of classes followed by a half day of observing experienced teachers. The second year was all student teaching.

That's the program my mother went through ca. 1940-41, but after World War II, she heard that the state was going to raise the requirements for primary teachers, so she went back to school and got a B.A. in English and biology.

Have a degree in a major subject, say history, then teach it....of course throughin a few Ed classes, but most that I had were garbage. Even classes designed for Social Studies/History classes were a waste....Have a solid menotr, observe and participate....Teach....