Do students planning to become teachers get any instruction in classroom management?

[raccoon]

It seems to me that should be in their curriulum.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. I almost became an English teacher (dropped out of college due to personal reasons)

And classroom management was part of the Education curriculum.

[raccoon]

2. Glad to hear it. It seems so obvious, but AFAIK, in previous decades there

was no instruction in that area.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

5. Yeah, this was around 2002-2003

[KittyWampus]

9. When my father started out, he was given a mentor. I hope mentoring still happens

Cause taking a course or two in University isn't the same as hands on :)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. The first teaching class I took involved classroom observation

The program involved being in the classroom for at least a couple hours a week well before making it to student teaching.

[Kerrytravelers]

3. It varies, depending upon your program.

All first year teachers are assigned mentor teachers. When I first started, I had a wonderful mentor who spent time talking with about all aspects of classroom management, from behavior, to working with parents, to organization. She was wonderful.

When I entered a Master's Prgram, I moved and went to work in a new district. Because I was now working for a Title I school, and had not been before, I was assigned a mentor teacher. I was appalled. I think I received one or two notes in my mailbox from her. I have no idea what she looks like, as I never met her. I have to assume this was pretty common, as that district had one of the highest turn-over rates, and first year teachers dropped like flies. It was horrible for the kids and brought much instability to the school district. But, I must say, I blame the school district. There was so much infighting at the district office, most teacher just lived in their classrooms and waited for the bell. I didn't stay there long.

[pampango]

4. I got into teaching as a second career about 15 years ago and it was in our curriculum.

Plus it was something you had to show at least some mastery of to complete your student teaching requirement.

Not sure how things are now.

[sammytko]

6. yes. I'm in a teacher training program.

There is one class dedicated to this, but all the others touch on the subject.

We are also required to complete 240 hrs in a real classroom BEFORE we even start student teaching.

Those hours are considered a "lab" for a couple of the classes. not all require observation hours. I am working on completing 80 hours for my education psychology class this semester. During this time, we have to teach 2 lessons while evaluated by a university partner. The mentor teacher also evaluates us.

This helps you decide if teaching is the right career path. If we didn't do this, by the time student teaching rolled around (senior year), it could be too late.

i started out as a EC-4 bilingual major, but changed my mind after completing 20 observation hours in my initial ed class. i'm now working on 4-8 Math. Lots more fun.

This is in Texas. They are also working on the notion of requiring teachers to pass their certification tests before they student teach.

[raccoon]

10. That is a great idea, "We are also required to complete 240 hrs in a real classroom BEFORE

we even start student teaching."

I know of some people who found out when they did their student teaching that they hated it!

A bit late to change majors, but I guess, better late than never.

[sammytko]

12. i've read lots of Texas school bashing around here, but so far

I've been very happy with my experience.

I've read so much about over crowded classrooms, that when I first walked into the class, i wondered when the rest of the kids would show up. They are only 22 kids allowed per teacher.

Our school district is considered poor, but we have great facilities. this is all thanks to the robin hood bill passed many years ago.

i've been retired from the military for 3 yrs now and i'm ready to get back to doing something worthwhile.

[old mark]

7. I went to a large ED school in PA - the had - still have - student teaching

requirement over the last 2 years, both for instructional purposes and to make certain it's really something you want to do.
I know someone who worked hard, went to night school to get a degree, went into teaching with no instruction or student teaching, found he really hated it. It had been his lifelong dream till he actually did it.
He went into engineering.

My sister, one sister-in-law and my late MIL all teachers/professors and my mom was a HS librarian. It is NOT as easy job at any level.

mark

[Bill McBlueState]

8. I think a student teaching requirement is nearly universal

as well it should be. Teachers should be knowledgeable in their fields but also need to understand proven pedagogical and classroom-management techniques.

[enlightenment]

13. Sometimes they get a lot more of that than

actual content training.

Pedagogy is important, but so is content area knowledge. At the lower grades I think you can get away with knowing more about how to teach a subject than the subject itself - but it makes my hair stand on end when I hear a middle/high school teacher say that they don't 'need to know a subject in order to teach it'. Bothers me even more when I hear a professor in a college education department say that 'teachers only need to know how to teach'.

And I've heard both sentiments. Frequently.

[rucky]

14. I had 6 credit hours in my program.

but really learned the most from my practicum

[Stellabella]

15. Yes.