GATEways to Teacher Education

A journal of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators

Recently, a student teacher in the field emailed me and said, “I wish I could have observed more teachers during my classwork.” This statement struck me because it was a direct result of how we’ve had to pivot due to Covid-19. Usually, my students are immersed in the Pk-12 schools and gain several contact hours observing teaching and learning and working directly with students. The usual assignments that students have allow them to reflect on their experience, connect theory to practice, and create their teaching philosophy which allows them to imagine how they would like their classrooms to function. When Covid, struck, my students could not visit physical classrooms because visitors were not allowed in schools even after schools reopened. My students did observe and analyze several videos from past student teachers, current teachers, and general videos that would focus on isolated skills. These activities left my students feeling isolated and withdrawn from the impromptu beauty that occurs in the classroom. Fast forward a few years to their student teaching and now the gaps from this pivot are noticeable.

There is nothing that we can do about the past, but what will our future bring? The next steps for teacher education and education in general are to take a keen look at the outcomes that are occurring due to our pivots and ensure that we address those outcomes and strive for success. This means that working committees may need to form at the higher education level. Yes, no one wants to work on another committee, but more so than that, no one wants our teachers underprepared. This means that we all must collaborate and think critically about the role of teachers, pre-service teachers, teacher educators and the impact that we will have on teaching and learning in the coming years.

Conclusion

The implications for teaching and learning in a pseudo-post Covid world have incredible, perhaps lasting effects on student success both at the pK-12 and higher education levels. No one person, nor one institution or district will have the answers, however, we must encourage meaningful dialogue between K12 educators and teacher education institutions to not only ameliorate the impact of Covid on students, but to ensure that all educators are prepared to meet the needs of their students going forward. Here’s a hint: it begins in the classroom.

Jennifer E. Curl, PhD. LaTashaAdams, PhD. Co-Editors, GATEways