Using a qualitative approach, this article reports findings of a longitudinal study of seven successful elementary educators from the inception of their final preservice field experience through the first seven years of their independent teaching. The research centers the development of teachers' literacy-related instructional practices over the…

The purpose of this phenomenological narrative study was to describe what it means to be Literacy Teacher Educators (LTEs) who supported writing in the context of a research-practice partnership (RPP) in the southwestern United States and to identify elements of the RPP in which we worked that were most useful for supporting writing instruction in…

A comparison of population and employment projections shows the gap between teacher supply and demand growing through 2025. Alternative certification programs (ACPs) were created to increase teacher production, but research on who selects ACPs versus traditional preparation programs (TPPs) shows mixed results as does research on new teacher…

In this article, we critically analyze our experiences in preparing pre-service teachers (PSTs) to teach for social justice. We utilized an intersectional lens to identify and validate our different positionalities and pedagogies. It is this interplay of validating our differences and commonalities that enabled us to form a sense of solidarity in…

When attending to dispositions, or educators' assumptions and beliefs about teaching, learning, and students, teacher educators must develop a discourse that examines disability in terms of power and privilege. This article synthesizes literature related to critical race theory (CRT) and disability theory to elucidate the need for a critical…

Through course readings, museum visits, focus group discussions, and reflections on clinical observation experiences, preservice teachers developed a fictitious educational setting (Courage High School) that incorporates critical, social justice practices and privileges the experiences and cultural backgrounds of all K-12 students. Participants…

The number of students designated as English language learners enrolled in U.S. schools is rapidly increasing, and because of this shifting cultural and linguistic landscape, it is essential that all teachers have the skills to effectively work with students who have a language other than English spoken at home. Using the framework of exemplary…

Although classroom video is well recognized as a valuable reflective resource for student teachers, we know very little about how university supervisors' pedagogical practices are shaped by creating and using videos with their student teachers. This study explored how 12 supervisors developed greater stances of inquiry toward their practices as…

Early childhood classroom teachers are often left with little support and guidance as they assume responsibilities as mentor-teachers. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore how a hybrid community of practice comprised of four pre-K mentors and a university program coordinator supported the development of new understandings about…

Although the underpreparation of teachers to work with English learners is a documented problem in teacher education, little research has addressed teacher educators' perspectives in guiding prospective teachers to educate English learners. This case study of one 13-month elementary certification program highlights teacher educators' efforts and…

Stories of veteran teachers have much to contribute to our understanding of how to approach the current problem of teacher attrition. We examined the stories of one teacher, Betty Peck, who had more than 50 years' experience teaching, with the goal to explore what dispositions she considered most important to her resilience as a teacher. We found…

Using a case study design, this investigation examined the effective teaching characteristics of nontraditional, culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student teachers placed in rural, elementary schools with high populations of Latino/a students. Data collected reflected high percentages of effective teaching characteristics in multiple…

Professional integrity and changing demographics in the public school system in the United States coupled with standards for teacher preparation require that preservice teachers possess knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to work with diverse populations. Using the Teacher Work Sample, a plan for instruction serving as a teacher…

The purpose of this article is to describe commonalities among teachers who have sustained passion for the teaching profession, identify ways to instill a similar passion in teacher education candidates, and encourage teacher educators to maintain and model an enthusiastic passion. The authors present the results of a study that consisted of…

This study compared the effectiveness of three teacher education programs in terms of their impact on teacher competencies. The programs include a traditional 4-year teacher certification program, an alternative certification-based master of arts in teaching program, and an alternative certification program without the master degree option. The…