Much research describes how mentor and novice teachers interact when pupils are not present (e.g., co-planning, debriefing). However, little research investigates how mentor/novice pairs interact when K-12 students are present. This gap in the literature is significant because research suggests that without intentional mediation, novices often…

This article uses three vignettes to illustrate the pitfalls that must be overcome if classroom experience during teacher preparation is to serve the broad purposes of learning to teach. These pitfalls mislead prospective teachers into believing that central aspects of teaching have been mastered and understood. (MT)

This article presents a conceptual framework that relates facts about the student teaching experience to what ought to be learned. Two cases of student teaching illustrate how the relative influence of program, setting, and participant interaction shape opportunities for learning. Suggestions for teacher educators are offered. (Author/MT)

The realities of teacher preparation are not self-evident. Researchers, educators, and policymakers need a framework to describe what goes on in teacher education programs and to determine how they do or do not measure up as preparation for teaching. This paper presents such a framework. The framework rests on a conception of the central tasks of…

Based on data from a longitudinal study of teacher preparation conducted at a large midwestern U.S. university, this article describes and appraises what elementary teacher education students were taught about textbooks, what they learned, and what they did with these lessons during student teaching. (Author/TE)

This paper presents a conceptual framework that relates empirical aspects of student teaching (facts about the experience) to considerations of value (what student teachers ought to learn). First, the report explains what is meant by calling student teaching an "occasion for teacher learning." Next, based on observational and interview…

The limitations and unique contributions of experiential learning across the learning-to-teach continuum (pretraining phase, preservice phase, inservice phase/on-the-job learning) were examined. Three vignettes are presented that describe specific examples of firsthand experience: student teaching, exploratory field experiences, and the field as a…

This collection of papers focuses on guided practice as a face-to-face professional activity directed toward helping teachers learn to teach and learn from teaching. The first paper, "Guided Learning from Teaching: A Fresh Look at a Familiar Practice" by Sharon Feiman-Nemser and Cheryl Rosaen, provides a conceptual framework of guided…