In this clip, three students talk with Rachel Kulick about what they are learning from their child study. Since this is work-in-progress, their comments provide a window on what the experience is like for them and how they are making sense of it. Michal’s comments suggest that she is beginning to look at her study child through the eyes of a teacher, trying to uncover his interests and figure out why he acts in particular ways. Mike values being in a “real” classroom where he can “learn more from doing.” For Kim, the child study perspective feels “natural,” but the inquiry is getting her to think more about individual differences.
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Students talk about their learning
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Video Clip (3:51) |
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To learn about what child study meant to my students and whether they were internalizing the value of close observation of children as a “teaching practice,” I invited former students, now seniors, to talk about how child study fit into their developing stance as teachers. Beforehand, I distributed copies of the child study reports they had written in my class two years earlier. In this clip, the seven student teachers talk openly about how they felt about the child study when they were sophomores and what it means to them now.
Several things stand out to me about the conversation. First, these student teachers are further along in developing a professional identity and stance. Compared with students in Ed. 100, they talk like teachers. Second, the group itself functions like a professional learning community. They use common language, listen to one another, build on each other’s ideas. Third, while several students said the child study seemed overwhelming at the time, they have all come to value the importance of getting to know students as individuals and learners. As they finish up student teaching and put together their teaching portfolios, they can see how the work we did in Ed. 100 helped lay a foundation for teaching and learning to teach. One even suggests that the course be renamed “Foundations of Education” instead of “Exploring Teaching.”
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Student teachers talk about their learning
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Video Clip (2:04) |
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Click image to view clip |