Why go back? Or maybe
it is going forward? I will know in time.
But right now it is
because my stories are stale. To be a good teacher educator there are a number
of criteria that you must successfully be able to meet.
The first is that you
are yourself, and have been at some time in the past, a teacher. It is
difficult to engage preservice teachers with an understanding of the depth of
practice and pedagogy that is required by the teaching profession if you
yourself lack this experience.
Next you actually need
a good theoretical understanding of teaching practice. It is not enough to do
what you do, good though you may be, you really need to know why and why what you
do works. Your students – the preservice teachers in your classes, lectures and
workshops, need to gain from your knowledge, not just the tricks of the trade,
useful though these may be (and I know that is what many say they only
want) but these only last a day a week a year at most, and then they need more.
They need to be able to reflect and draw on a deeper understanding of practice
that is grounded in solid theory – drawn from philosophy, psychology, sociology
and pedagogy. And these must be, as Linda Darling Hammond and John Bransford in
their wonderful book, Preparing Teachers for a Changing World, based in research.
Finally, as a teacher
educator we need our stories to tell, stories from the chalkface. The all
important practice that we draw on provides a context for our students and for
us alike. "I know this works because I tried it here and there. I used it with
my year 9’s. This is a strategy that works with grades 3-5 … This is a sample
of role play writing from a 4 year old child … humour works well with 16 year
olds because …"
But my stories were lacking in relevance. More than 10 years on the world in
which we live has changed. Radically, irrevocably. High school and primary
school students face different issues and concerns. And the problems we faced
as teachers have changed. My story about a revolver in the playground lacks
relevancy in a society where violence has changed, where cyber-bullying has
become a major concern. My experience with a child in a wheelchair pales into
insignificance in classrooms today where you would be glad to only have one
child with a physical disability. Now classrooms have children on the ASD
register, children with multiple disabilities, ADHD, a variety of learning
difficulties, ESL, and the list goes on.
The work has got harder, the demands on the teacher greater.
And so I have gone
back to see for myself, not as outsider, or researcher, but as participant, actively
taking part in the changes of the day to day of the classroom.
