Preparing Teachers [microform] : A Middle School-University Partnership / Cheryl K. Didham.
Knowledge of middle grade children and of their particular needs, as well as new teaching methods appropriate for this age level are needed for middle school teachers to be successful. Without the necessary coursework and student teaching experience, preservice teachers often feel unprepared to deal...
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| Format: | Microfilm Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[S.l.] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
1991.
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| Summary: | Knowledge of middle grade children and of their particular needs, as well as new teaching methods appropriate for this age level are needed for middle school teachers to be successful. Without the necessary coursework and student teaching experience, preservice teachers often feel unprepared to deal with middle level students. At Ohio State University Lima (OSU-Lima), most coursework for elementary majors is geared to the elementary self-contained classroom, yet surrounding schools all have the middle school configuration of grades 5-8, 4-8, or 6-8. There is no specific middle level coursework, and attitudes toward middle level teaching are not positive. One educational psychology class offered middle level preparation (lecture, group discussion, small group work, and field experiences in the middle grades) to see if attitudes toward teaching middle school could be made more positive. Students surveyed before and after the course made such comments as: middle school students have different needs and are harder to work with than high school students; special training is needed for middle school teaching; and teachers need to know more content to work in middle school. It is evident that universities must consider curriculum changes and offer methods classes specifically aimed at the middle grades as well as longer field experiences in middle schools. (SM) |
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| Item Description: | ERIC Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators (71st, New Orleans, LA, February 16-20, 1991). ERIC Document Number: ED331791. |
| Physical Description: | 12 p. |