Chapter 17: Facilitating Educative Experiences for the Intern: The Role of the University Instructor¹

While the evolving nature of pre-service programs has certainly changed the work of the field instructor, providing instruction in a Professional Development School shapes the position even further. As a university field instructor, my role and responsibilities are clearly affected by the context and culture of a Professional Development School. The ways in which preservice teachers need my help and the types of support I provide are different in a PDS, versus non-PDS, setting.

My participation in the Holt High School professional development work has provided me with a building-wide perspective on the types of teaching and learning valued by teachers and on the range of activities in which faculty and staff engage to promote effective teaching and learning. I have also had the opportunity to establish long-standing relationships with faculty and support staff. As a result, I am in a much better position to facilitate the intern’s processing of the disposition and work of the PDS teachers. A crucial part of this is helping interns negotiate the multiple relationships that are a reality of learning to teach in a PDS context. In turn, I can take a proactive approach to shaping better learning-to-teach opportunities for my interns.