Chapter 11: Structures, Curriculum, And Teacher Education

This article, a revision of a speech given to the American Association of Teaching and Curriculum in October 2008, presents an argument for rethinking the programs and structures that comprise teacher education. This argument is based on current research on learning to teach, on my experiences as a teacher educator and researcher over the past 20 plus years, and on critiques of the preparation of educators. I begin with a brief overview of some things we know about the initial stages of learning to teach, followed by a summary of what we are learning about the first years of teaching. I then discuss the ways in which what we know does and doesn’t fit with how we act—as professors of education, educational administration, school and district administrators, and as more experienced teachers. I conclude the article with some thoughts on conditions we need to question and change if we take seriously the continuous improvement of education.