KEVIN: Some people argue that we shouldn't require prospective teachers to spend much time in preservice teacher education but should put them into teaching situations right away where they can learn practical things on the job.

JIM: Sure, they can learn much of what they need to know, but it's going to be trial and error, and lots of elementary and secondary students will receive less than adequate instruction while their teacher is learning.

KEVIN: What about those people who argue that you can't learn to be a teacher in a college classroom? The faster our prospective teachers get into the classroom, they say, the better, especially given the projected need for new teachers. Those in favor of alternative licensure make this argument.

JIM: I'm in favor of early immersion in the classroom, and most teacher education programs are already getting students out into the schools early in their programs. But I also believe that there are many things that new teachers need to learn before they are given full responsibility for a classroom.

KEVIN: How about those people who point to teachers in private schools, many of whom have had no formal teacher preparation? If teachers in private schools don't need formal teacher preparation, why should we require it of public school teachers?

JIM: I think the circumstances are very different. Private schools accept only those students whom they want, whereas public schools have to take every student who shows up. That means that private schools can dismiss students who don't follow rules, try hard, or behave themselves. Private schools also don't have to accept students with disabilities unless they're well equipped to work with them. Public school teachers need to know how to work with a much greater diversity of students.

KEVIN: So you're saying that because public school teachers are likely to work with a greater variety of students, they need more teacher preparation. Is that right?

JIM: Yes, and for other reasons. Public school teachers are affected by many school reform efforts that don't touch private school teachers, such as state standards for student learning that dictate what teachers must teach, high-stakes student testing, and required technology competencies for teachers. In other words, states require much more of future public school teachers than private school teachers, so more teacher preparation is needed.

For more information and opinions on the relative importance of classroom and practice education in teacher preparation, visit these web sites, then reflect on the questions that follow:

Web Links

Teacher Quality
This "hot topic" summary from the online publication Education Week, gives you a concise update on the issues and current trends in teacher preparation and other steps to assure that teachers are highly qualified.

Research and Rhetoric on Teacher Certification
In this 2002 paper in the journal Education Policy Archives, researcher Linda Darling-Hammond disputes the claims of an earlier study that teacher education programs did not significantly improve the quality of teaching.

For Further Reflection

1. For you, what would be the ideal balance between coursework and practice in a teacher preparation program?
   
   
2. In light of new research that shows that teachers with strong subject-matter knowledge tend to have students with better results, should teacher preparation programs begin including few courses on teaching and encourage students to focus more strongly on specific disciplines? Why or why not?
   
   
3. What steps would be feasible to speed up teacher preparation but still assure highly qualified teachers?