Chapter 7: The Practicum of Literacy Teaching

Teaching is a daily spasm of quick, moving parts that require ingenuity and knowledge. Teachers cannot possibly prepare for every scenario that they will face. However, the more experience a teacher has prior to having their own classroom, the more confident they will be as a teacher, having prepared though knowledge and practices that help one to face the challenge with strategies (Jensen & Tuten, 2007). A teaching experience with observation, feedback and collaboration can raise confidence and help teachers feel success in their first years (Jensen & Tuten, 2007), one that is based on the apprenticeship model wherein learning with a knowledgeable other’s coaching is penultimate to the experience alone. After such a student teaching experience though, there is little coteaching or apprenticeship modeling in the classroom and there should be.