Dr. Bob Maxfield and Dr. Suzanne Klein invite Podcast guests Dr. Cynthia Carver, Associate Professor and Chair of the Teacher Development in Educational Studies Department at Oakland University, in the School of Education and Human Services, and Marcia Hudson, Elementary Field Coordinator, to discuss lessons learned during the pandemic that have informed their teacher preparation program and highlight the prominent features of the newly launched Elementary Teacher Preparation Program.
Dr. Carver explained “about 85% of students take teacher preparation courses through her department, which also works closely with the Reading and Language Arts, and the Department of H.D.C.S. (Human Development and Child Studies).” As a long time teacher educator and scholar of teacher leadership, she is deeply passionate about clinical preparation and partnerships with area schools, which is a key component of the Oakland program. “The university does the work of preparing new teachers in concert with our partners in our local schools, with the implicit expectation of mentor classroom teachers that they are also field-based teacher educators.”
Marcia Hudson incorporates her experience as a teacher, teacher leader and Literacy Consultant in the Avondale Public School District into her current position, which includes “supporting mentor teachers to fully recognize their leadership role as field based teacher educators and live into that vision. It's really necessary that our students have the opportunity to see the great practices that they're learning about taking place within their mentor teachers’ classrooms.”
Marcia Hudson recalled the challenges brought about by the pandemic. “When the pandemic hit, students were in the middle of the semester and suddenly schools closed. Then last fall we had 93 student teachers ready to begin their final internship. When our student teachers were connected with their mentor teachers they developed strong partnerships. Some of our students were taking the lead and helping our mentor teachers navigate new ways of teaching.”
“We didn’t have a vision for fully remote learning. In the past students were being prepared for brick and mortar schools.” Going forward, Dr. Carver described “the intention on the part of university faculty to help prepare students for this new reality of using technology in ways not previously imagined to support student learning and make connections to the community, as well as how to use technology to support our own learning as educators with one another.”
“We learned a lot during the pandemic about the importance of engaging with families who play a vital role in supporting learning. Teaching the whole child is not a new idea though the competencies around S.E.L., social emotional learning, provide new ways for us to think about equitable practices, as well as practices that help kids regulate their emotions and participate in more independent, self-regulated ways in the classroom. Some of the things I mentioned around S.E.L. and family engagement are important curricular pieces that will have a different emphasis going forward.”
“In K-12 education, we are being pushed to reconsider thinking so tightly around the boundaries of the bell schedule, but begin to think more creatively about learning itself, and how learning starts and stops in different ways, on different days around different topics. and the integrated nature of learning that can take place.”
Dr. Carver identified the three hallmarks of the Oakland program: “practice-based teacher preparation; a very important strand around equity and justice; and clinical practice and school partnerships. They existed pre- Covid and offer a lens to look at the past and forward to the future.”
“The redesign of the elementary program took four years as a faculty across departments and offices to define the touchstones of our program; what is it that our graduates would need to experience in order to be well prepared to do no harm when they go into the classroom and be well-started novices. “
“Practice-based teacher preparation focuses on putting theories about teaching into action to develop core practices; the term we use now in the state of Michigan. Every teacher, regardless of subject or grade level, will lead large and small groups and lead discussions. Every teacher will need to build respectful relationships with students and their families. Every teacher will need to help students elicit their thinking. We’re informed by our standards, state and national standards of course, but the difference lies in the way we tie it together in the coherence of our programs.”
“One of the things that makes our program remarkably different from many other programs is the coherence of our programs. We have been very intentional to be collaborative as a faculty. Students are not taking classes that do not connect with one another. The faculty are always in conversation with one another about where their students are and how they are building these concepts and skills and deepening them over time.“
Marcia Hudson added “not only does the faculty continually meet, discuss, and create opportunities for students to make sure there's coherence with everything; they're also working with all of the support staff, they're speaking with advisors, they're speaking with the support team. Another thing that's really special about our new program is that we have faculty meetings and work regularly with the mentor teachers who are working with our students, so it's a full circle of support. I'd like to say that it's almost like a personalized kind of program that we offer to students. “
Dr. Carver emphasized that “part of being an Oakland student means that we care about you as a person and that's absolutely true here. We know our students, we’re following our students, and when students need some extra guidance and help, we're here to help them.
Given the challenges going forward, Dr. Carver indicated “it’s really important that we continue to bring forward the importance of teaching for diversity, equity, and inclusion; looking at ways in which we ensure that our candidates ‘don't do further harm to children’. That's a phrase we're starting to use a lot with one another and we've used it with students. And what we mean by that is that all children have opportunities to learn; all children are celebrated for their strengths; they have a voice in the classroom; they feel safe in the classroom, and that they are appropriately challenged. Also we are looking at the ways in which we are marginalizing students, because of their color or their gender or their ableness, or any number of other factors, and the heightened attention that we're placing on that and how very important that is. If we want to eliminate achievement gaps, we have to create opportunities to learn for all children. We want our teachers to leave our program ready to advocate on behalf of all children and their families and serve all children and their families well. As a faculty we've re-committed ourselves to that important form of teacher leadership.”
Another challenge that Marcia Hudson identified was “ the need to attract the best and brightest to the teaching profession”. As a fifth generation teacher, Marcia Hudson expressed very real concern about the teacher shortage and the negative response going into teaching elicits today. While there is no silver bullet to address it, Dr. Carver suggested that “part of the solution is going to have to be elevating the status of the profession. We have to give teachers as professionals that autonomy back;we have to celebrate their expertise; we have to honor and respect that expertise; we have to compensate that expertise. And we have to thank the teachers that we know and work with.” Dr. Carver and the Oakland University Teacher Preparation Program were featured in the Channel 4 WDIV-DET news broadcast TEACHERS IN HIGH DEMAND, 8/30/2021, 6:50 am.
https://mms.tveyes.com/MediaCenterPlayer.aspx?u=aHR0cDovL21lZGlhY2VudGVyLnR2ZXllcy5jb20vZG93bmxvYWRnYXRld2F5LmFzcHg%2FVXNlcklEPTI3NTY0MSZNRElEPTE1NzMxNDkyJk1EU2VlZD03ODk1JlR5cGU9TWVkaWE%3D
As cheerleaders for the teaching profession and teacher leadership, Dr. Maxfield and Dr. Klein thanked Dr. Cynthia Carver and Marcia Hudson for sharing their experiences, wisdom and optimism.
To learn more about the Elementary Teacher Preparation Program at Oakland University, School of Education and Human Services:
https://oakland.edu/teach/undergraduate-degree-programs/elementary-education/
Dr. Carver and Marcia Hudson have provided their email addresses should you wish to contact them.
Dr. Cynthia Carver, Associate Professor and Chair of the Teacher Development in Educational Studies Department, carver2@oakland.edu
Marcia Hudson, Elementary Field Coordinator, mlhudson@oakland.edu
