Overview
Great teachers aren’t born; they’re made. Teacher education is about turning a subject expert (who knows math) into a teacher (who can teach math to a room of 13-year-olds).
Core Idea
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK): It’s not enough to know the subject (Content Knowledge) or how to teach (Pedagogical Knowledge). You need to know how to teach that specific subject. (e.g., Knowing the common mistakes students make when learning fractions).
Formal Definition (if applicable)
Reflective Practice: The ability to reflect on one’s actions so as to engage in a process of continuous learning. “What went well? What went wrong? How will I fix it tomorrow?”
Intuition
Teaching is like performing live theater, 5 hours a day, with a hostile audience that didn’t buy tickets. You need training.
Examples
- Student Teaching: An internship where a future teacher takes over a classroom under supervision.
- Alternative Certification: Fast-track programs for career changers (e.g., Teach For America).
- Professional Development (PD): Workshops for current teachers.
Common Misconceptions
- “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” (Teaching is harder than doing. You have to understand it deeply enough to explain it to a novice.)
- “It’s just common sense.” (Classroom management is a complex skill.)
Related Concepts
- Tenure: Job security.
- Burnout: High rates of teachers leaving the profession.
- Mentoring: Experienced teachers helping new ones.
Applications
- University Programs: Schools of Education.
- Licensure: State exams (Praxis).
- School Leadership: Principals supporting teachers.
Criticism / Limitations
Teacher prep programs are often criticized for being too theoretical and disconnected from the reality of the classroom.
Further Reading
- Shulman, Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the New Reform
- Lemov, Teach Like a Champion