Teacher candidates are called on to create effective lesson plans to implement during their student teaching semester, and certain components of lesson plans are recognized as particularly significant. Viewing lesson plans as the foundation for impactful instruction, it is necessary for teacher candidates to have skills in evaluating their plans…

This article discusses four exemplary activities to highlight imaginative approaches that encourage critical literacy: building a jackdaw, responding to text through multimodal journaling, engaging in dramatic roleplay, and practicing multi-genre writing. Each activity connects imaginative approaches to critical literacy as learners view the world…

This article provides a brief overview of teacher/coach role conflict and possible implications if inappropriately managed. Following this, the authors provide suggestions on how to prepare pre-service teachers (PSTs) to manage this conflict by outlining coursework to be included in physical education teacher education programming and practical…

Researchers have proposed integration as an approach to effectively teach social studies in primary grades. Many teachers integrate by teaching social studies content and skills during time allocated for other subjects, such as literacy, science, or math. Integration clearly uses time efficiently to allow for more social studies content. However,…

At a time when there is great emphasis on teacher quality and the preparation of excellent teachers, this portrait explores the process of one such aspiring teacher, Katie, in the fall of her full-year student-teaching internship. Her mentoring teacher, Kristen, is a veteran fifth-grade teacher at a small elementary school in New Hampshire who…

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of Victorian education and has dramatically affected the practical experience of pre-service teachers (PST) throughout Melbourne. This self-study will reflect on the obstacles and opportunities I experienced during an online practicum, and discuss the complex challenges associated with the unexpected…

Teacher education in Ontario, Canada has had to respond to a myriad of challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis, particularly after government authorities decided to close schools until students and faculty could return safely. In this paper, we examine some of the major challenges that are being faced by teacher educators as they prepare for…

Shouldn't teachers learn how children think during their training? In this essay, the author considers why they don't and what we might do about it. Many U.S. teachers report that their education is overly theoretical and not of great utility. It's clear that they are required to learn some basic principles of psychology as part of that education,…

In a divisive age, how do we support beginning teachers in taking up the challenge of teaching controversial topics and creating classroom environments that promote civil discourse? For insights, the author looked to the work of teacher educators in Northern Ireland, a region that is still affected by many generations of intense sectarian…

Preparing students placing into developmental mathematics for success in undergraduate mathematics and preparing future teachers for the increasing demands of K-12 school settings are both persistent, yet seemingly divergent, problems facing higher education. In this paper, we shed light on a model that attempts to address aspects of each problem…

The authors of this paper discuss the use of Virtual Reality (VR) as a tool for building meaningful connections in science education across different grade levels. The authors elaborate on their experiences with using VR in teacher training programs, in practicum and student teaching experiences, and in providing a professional development…

This article focuses on Lisa Wilson's recent teaching experiences at the School of Dance, University of Cape Town (UCT), where dance pedagogy courses are established curricular components of its two undergraduate programs, the three-year Diploma in Dance Education (DipEd) and the four-year Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree in dance. The DipEd…

Early childhood personnel preparation programs must prepare future early educators who can counteract racism and ableism to provide all children with an equitable and just education. We applied Dis/ability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) Classroom Ecology to early childhood and specifically to preschool settings. We argue that early childhood…

Matrices occupy an awkward spot in a typical algebra 2 textbook: sandwiched between solving linear systems and solving quadratics. Even teachers who do not base their course timeline and pacing on the class textbook may find a disconnect between how matrices are taught (procedurally) and how other topics are taught (conceptually or with real-world…

The arrival of the digital age has not only reshaped and refocused critical research in the humanities, but has provided real opportunities to innovate with pedagogy and classroom structure. This article describes the development of a new pedagogical model that integrates learning by teaching with student access to electronic archival resources.…