This essay presents a case of collaborative learning and lesson design between general and special education teacher candidates through a synchronous online class during the Covid-19 pandemic We propose a theoretical framework of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for inclusive history-social studies teaching and detail how we used the framework to organize and facilitate this collaboration We focus on strategies and tools for online group activities in which candidates work together to develop subject matter knowledge, understanding of students, and pedagogical strategies for teaching and learning in inclusive elementary classrooms We use teacher candidates' evaluations, reflections, and lesson materials to highlight the utility of online learning environments for engaging general and special education teachers in meaningful collaboration
Anzaldua's borderlands loom large in the experiences of a first-year, assistant professor in a rural, predominantly working-class Mexican community near the United States/Mexico border Tensions and dislocations, along race, class, immigrant background, and language in a transborder teacher education program, were exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis These tensions are exemplified in the written reflections of two male teacher candidates of Color who were also employed as essential workers while enrolled in a teacher education program Examining their written reflections illuminates the ways in which physical and symbolic boundaries affected their material conditions and their pursuit of teaching credentials Recognizing the intersectionality of teacher candidate lives and the implications for their entry into the teaching profession illuminated the role critical fronterizo teacher education programs can play in assuring more equitable opportunities for teacher candidates
The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented upheaval of the traditional teaching context Fortunately, disruptions can also catalyze innovations as they cause the field to re-examine its assumptions and practices Re-thinking how we mentor pre-service and early-service teachers is one area that shows particular promise for improving teaching I cite examples from my experience as a mentor teacher and a teacher educator to question traditional models of mentoring that inhibit innovation, collaboration, and reflective practice Tools and routines that explicitly draw out the assets each member brings to the teaching dyad are needed to address the challenges of our current context, encourage thoughtful instructional change, and build teacher agency and collaboration
Seven weeks into the spring semester, we were learning what it means to build community in our online classes and then, our lives quickly and drastically changed School districts shuttered their doors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and K-12 teachers moved to distance learning This was a challenging moment for our school systems and many teachers and parents felt understandably overwhelmed This narrative describes how two teacher educators partnered with a local county office of education to launch a professional development series to support K-12 teachers with virtual learning We learned that building partnerships and proactively addressing educators' needs through a microlearning model of professional development helped teachers feel confident in this new remote learning environment
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers must rely on technology to reach and teach their students who no longer sit in school classrooms In so doing, chasms in the quality of engagement have become evident based on students' ability, ethnicity, and home language We propose that co-teaching between a mentor teacher and a teacher candidate could mediate opportunities for two adults to equitably instruct all students in structured and productive ways within virtual educational environments This article describes implementation of co-teaching experiences between teacher candidates and mentor teachers through virtual instruction by using video-based conferencing tools (e g , Zoom) We describe six co-teaching models and explain how they can support the needs of diverse learners in virtual educational environments
The Covid-19 pandemic has influenced all levels of education, including higher education School closures have impacted teacher credentialing course work, research projects, assessments, and student teaching placements The challenges currently facing teacher candidates necessitate a review of how we support their needs for connection, support, and relevant course content as they advance to becoming credentialed teachers To meet these needs, I suggest building on existing practices to complete capstone research projects in distance learning contexts, developing unstructured social spaces through social media platforms, and inviting teacher candidates to co-curate course content
My first year as a tenure-track professor has been nothing short of a jaw-dropping experience From navigating the social and political environment with colleagues and administrators, to building meaningful relationships with pre-service teachers, the Covid-19 pandemic and all its attendant challenges prompted me to examine common institutional practices more closely The result of this examination was a recognition of a shift in my perspective from doing enough? to we are doing all can A subsequent interrogation of the isolating structures that create barriers to the development and growth of both emerging scholars and pre-service teachers revealed spaces in which teacher education as a discipline and a profession can develop I suggest that the use of mindful scaffolding to transform evaluation and retention expectations and field experience requirements, whether in face-to-face or remote settings, can yield benefits for both faculty and pre-service teachers, alike
I teach in a multiple subject credential program that requires all preservice teachers to complete a course specifically focused on arts curriculum and instruction Based on my experiences in other credential programs throughout California, arts curriculum and instruction is often combined with another content area like social studies My arts course critically examines pedagogy in dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts within a 10-week time period My narrative explores how abruptly moving to remote arts instruction stressed access and equity as essential elements for content coverage Future practical implications for remote arts instruction include, but are not limited to, classroom management, access to arts supplies, hands-on learning, and sustaining authentic assessment
With the advent of Covid-19 and classes moving online, future educators of Color (FE°C) in teacher education programs are susceptible to the same disparities in outcomes and retention that college students of Color experience As a teacher educator of Color, I drew from abolitionist teaching, restorative practices, and engaged pedagogy to redesign and teach an online course for FE°C during the pandemic and racial justice uprising I centered wellness and fostered interconnectedness through the use of restorative circles to process the pandemic and anti-Black violence and scheduled one-on-one meetings with FE°C to listen and respond to their needs I emerged from the experience both humbled and hopeful that intentionally designing online coursework can support FE°C and inspire collective social action
The Covid-19 pandemic has taught supervisors of teacher candidates some critical lessons From our time in quarantine, surfaced the disquisition of a focus on personal and professional work-life balance, creative problem solving in the home, and K-12 teacher candidate supervision The necessity for self-care during the pandemic and in educators' professional lives was highlighted when a death in my family and an injury brought into question the new not-so-normal These changes have been focused on virtual pedagogy, which has been lighting the path to credential completion alongside professional and personal encouragement The dispatch going forward is for supervisors and teacher candidates to use communication to find joy and efficiency in their lives while maintaining a heightened level of listening and care for ourselves and others
In March, our on-campus tutoring program for credential candidates and local students was shut down by the pandemic This signature program had served families and the community for many years and provided essential fieldwork experience for credential candidates in our elementary and secondary reading methods courses Most importantly, it provided a developmental understanding of literacy practices within a supportive coaching environment Due to Covid-19, we needed to transition from in-person to online instruction, and we were vexed Adapting this microteaching clinical/fieldwork experience to an online setting required four strategies: redesigning the tutoring program's structure;engaging closely with families;diving into online training;and practicing self-compassion
Contemporary societies, whether in the United States or the Pacific are overwhelming visual in character. Yet, schools at all levels continue to privilege written text as demonstrations of learning over any other form of communication. A visual curriculum has the potential to strengthen instruction across disciplines and offers students another way to express their knowledge. As a receptive mediator, images can provide support for students who may be new to school, or English, or otherwise in need additional scaffolding of verbal language experiences (Cappello & Walker, 201 ; Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001). When used for literacy production, visuals may also help students to communicate their new ideas and understandings (Cappelo & Hollingsworth, 2008; Cappello & Lafferty, 2015; Eisner, 2002). Moreover, privileging visual texts as student demonstrations of knowledge may provide students an otherwise missing opportunity to express cultural knowledge and identity (Franquiz & Brochin-Ceballos, 200 ). Indeed, visuals can improve learning outcomes by creating new op-
