For the past two decades, scholars have advocated for reforms in teacher education that emphasize relevant connections between theory and practice in university coursework and focus on clinical experiences. This paper is based on our experiences in designing and implementing an integrated literacy methods course in a field-based teacher education…

Pre-service teachers spend an inordinate amount of time observing teaching and learning in classrooms with the goals of understanding the complexities of that space and impacting their teaching. Consequently, teacher educators are responsible for scaffolding pre-service teachers in the use of appropriate and effective observational skills and…

The authors believe that by working together, teachers and school counselors can better support students and more effectively work for their success. In this article, we present our efforts in creating a collaborative class for preservice English teachers and school counselor interns. While offering an overview of English teachers and school…

Reflection is widely embraced in teacher education as a necessary process in becoming a good teacher. While there is broad acceptance of this idea, the nature of reflection has been challenged, particularly by those seeking reflection that is socially situated and critical, implicating teaching in its broader social context. This paper examines…

The special education methods sequence at University of Virginia is a two-semester training program which emphasizes a behavioral approach to teaching. The first course emphasizes methods; the second focuses on integration of curriculum and methods. Course goals, format, teaching methods, texts and student evaluation are outlined. (IAH)

A teacher educator discusses activities which are included in her language arts methods course. Content and process in language arts teaching are explored within a classroom context that encourages reflection, collegial discussion, and scholarly analysis. (IAH)

Secondary science methods courses should help students develop competencies in five areas: knowledge of the curriculum, planning for instruction, teaching strategies, classroom management, and evaluation of pupils' progress. (IAH)

Bowling Green State University's College of Education and Allied Professions incorporated a general secondary education teaching methods course, for all teacher candidates, consisting of seminar sessions which establish a strong theoretical and conceptual base for teaching skills and provide examples of teaching behaviors essential to effective…

Youngstown State University offers a "Principles of High School Teaching" course to present prospective secondary school teachers with knowledge and opportunity to examine critically various facets of high school teaching in order to reconceptualize both schooling and teacher's role, focusing on developing understanding of intellectual…

Content and methods are outlined for an undergraduate elementary social studies methods course. Course topics include structure of the discipline and its place in the curriculum, selecting concepts and facts to teach, how children reason and the implications for social studies teaching methods, instructional planning and techniques, and…

Key features of an intensive one-semester clinical program for preservice teachers are: (1) concurrent methods courses and fieldwork (student teaching); (2) dual roles (instructor and fieldwork supervisor) for core faculty; (3) teaming of core faculty; (4) peer group support--because students are placed in clusters of 3-10 at a school. (IAH)

A Northern Kentucky University professor questions the relevance and effectiveness of a required fundamentals of secondary education methods course, and discusses his counteroffensive, which combines lecture, field experience, and post-experience reflection on methods to meet state certification standards. (CB)

The use of constructivism and its various manifestations in education has been a topic of much interest in recent years. Inquiry into this theoretical framework has resulted in teacher educators' attempts to help their teacher candidates apply constructivist pedagogy in university classrooms, field experiences and student teaching at two US…

Teacher education programs are being encouraged to collaborate with K-12 partners to develop and implement contextually rich field experiences that integrate methods course instruction with public school practices. As a result, we outline four models of integrating methods instruction and field experiences and raise the question "How does the…