Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Ph.D. Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011.

Field Experiences: Best Practices

Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Ph.D.

Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

Why Our Work is Important

Taylor Mali


http://www.ted.com/talks/taylor_mali_what_teachers_make.html

Clinical Practice: Why it is Important

Learn through direct observation and instructing of students guided by qualified professionals (Howey, 2010)

Moral aspect to teacher preparation (Alter & Coggshall, 2009)

Our role as gatekeepers


What the research says

Field experiences considered one of the most important aspects of their teacher preparation program (Wilson, Floden, & Ferrini-Mundy, 2001).

Linked course and field experiences contribute to teacher retention as does student teaching lasting 10 or more weeks (Benner & Judge, 2000; Brownell, Ross, Colόn, & McCallum, 2005; Connelly & Graham, 2009; Graziano, 2009; NCES, 2010)

Linked course and field experiences are more influential and supportive of teacher candidate learning than discrete, isolated experiences (Darling-Hammond, 2006; Tatto, 1996)



Teachers demonstrating greatest student gains: Had extensive, well-supervised clinical

experiences Engage in the actual practice of teaching Studied and assessed local school curriculum Completed a capstone data-focused

experience examining impact on k-12 learning

(Boyd, Grossman, Lankford, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2008)



Issues Lack of common definition (O’Brian, Stone, Appel, &

House, 2007)

Learning in field experiences is highly contextualized and uneven (Téllez, 2008)

Need for purposeful experiences that bridge theory to practice

“Two-worlds pitfalls” (Feiman-Nemser & Buchmann, 1985)


What NCTQ Says

Standard

Description

1 Last no less than 10 week; no less than 5 weeks at a single school; full-time

2 Program must select supervising teacher for each placement

3 Supervising teacher must have a minimum of 3 years teaching experience

4 Supervising teacher must have capacity to have a positive impact on student learning (as determined by student learning gains)

5 Supervising teacher must have capacity to mentor adults and have skills in observation, providing feedback, holding professional conversations and working collaboratively


Think-Pair-Share

Over the past 5 years, how have you changed how you do field experiences?

What challenges have you faced in planning and supervising field experiences?

What have been some positive outcomes?


IHE Challenges

Disconnect between campus and field-based faculty (Vick 2006)

Lack of incentives for tenure-track faculty to engage in site-based work and/or field supervision (Labaree, 2004)

Field placements outsourced to a Central Placement Office or left up to individual students (Zeichner, 1996)


IHE Challenges

Doctoral students as university supervisors Lack an understanding of the research on

supporting teacher candidates Lack experience with adult learning models Lack an understanding of the totality of program

and/or the history of the evolution of the program Don’t consider themselves teacher educators Have a narrow view of teacher preparation Are unfamiliar with district / school policy / politics Turnover results in a lack of consistency

(Zeichner, 2010)


School Site Challenges

Difficult finding suitable mentors Compensation for supervising

teachers is minimal Teachers lack an understanding of

the program in general and of course/field expectations specifically

Loss of tenure and pay for performance may create additional challenges

(Zeichner, 2010)Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

Best PracticesThe Where, What and How


The Where One Possibility

SCHOOLS


Professional Development Schools


A school where university work collaboratively with practitioners over time with the goal of improving teaching and learning through: Upgrading the education of pre-service

teachers; Provide professional development for

experienced teachers; and, Conducting field-based research.

(Dolly & Oda, 1997)

Professional Development Schools

Challenges Leadership turnover Sufficient number of appropriately

credentialed teachers Under-valued

For Special Education Small n


PDS without Walls

Characteristics Multiple sites School Liaison at each site▪ Identifies supervising teachers and assists

university faculty in purposeful matching with teacher candidates

▪ Provides professional development at the school site

▪ Meets regularly with university faculty to discuss teacher candidate progress, needs, challenges

(Epanchin, USF)Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

Residencies

Year-long classroom apprenticeship under the guidance of a mentor teacher

Aligned coursework Stipend for living expenses Move from collaborative teaching

role to lead teacher (Urban Teacher Residency, 2011)


The WhatSome possible instructional strategies


Instructional Strategies

Incorporate representations of teacher practices Videos Guest lectures

Teach courses on-site and connect to teachers and instruction within that setting

Instructional Rounds



Community mapping exercises Hands-on activity Gain an insider perspective of the

community Identify assets of the community Engage community members as

partners



Case conferencing Work with faculty to meet the needs of

individual studentsCritical Friends Groups

Protocols and support materials http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/inquiry_supp.html

Action research (Teacher as Problem Solver) Teachers examine student learning

through their own teachingAlvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/inquiry_supp.html

Support at Placement Sites

Professional Learning Communities Critical Friends School AND communityTeaching ClinicsClinical coachesDistributed mentoring


The HowPossible structures for field experiences


Possible Structures


Kenji’s Clinical Training Model Initial Experiences

Video Lab where teacher candidates examine:▪ Student profiles requiring diagnostic analysis▪ Exemplary teaching practices classified by content and

student▪ Common classroom dilemmas▪ And analyze lessons and instructional units

Extended experiences throughout the program with an emphasis on K-12 learning▪ Teacher candidates compile a teaching portfolio chronicling

development including examples of teaching with voiceover analysis

Final Internship(Howey, 2010)


One Model

Site-Based with District inputLinked Course and Field ExperiencesPurposeful Collaboration Intensive Summer InstituteProfessional Practice Partners


Purposeful Collaboration



Unique Features


Professional Practice Partners

Master TeachersPrincipal and District

RecommendationApplication ProcessGraduate Level Course on Clinical

Training and MentoringClinical FacultyMeet with University Supervisor bi-

weekly when supervising internsAlvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011

Response to Demands

In response to demands for quicker, cheaper ways to prepare teachers, “…teacher education as an enterprise has probably launched more new weak programs that underprepare teachers, especially for urban schools, than it has further developed the strong models that demonstrate what intense preparation can accomplish” (Darling-Hammond, 2006, p.3).

MORAL ASPECT TO TEACHER

PREPARATION


Your Turn

Reflect on your current field experience structure

How might you enhance / revise what you are already doing?


Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Ph.D. Alvarez McHatton - Monarch 2011.

Documents

supervising teacher

patricia alvarez mchatton

supervising field experiences

teacher educators

teacher retention

field placements

purposeful experiences

student learning gains