“Your Lesson Plan Really Matters!” Preservice Teachers’ Initial Experiences With Literacy Instruction in Alternative Field Placements

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: Innovations in Field Experiences

Abstract

Teacher education methods courses often require fieldwork components that are difficult to complete in the summer due to the lack of public school programs that would provide pre-service teachers with practical experience. To address this problem, the researchers created two summer literacy camps that serve both our pre-service teachers and our local community and analyzed the reflective journals from the pre-service teachers. Given that little data exist on how alternative fieldwork placements assist our pre-service teachers’ professional development, this study hopes to add to the body of research on effective teacher education programs. Initial findings from the study show that the pre-service benefit in myriad ways from working in alternative field placements.

Authors

• Carolyn A. Groff, Monmouth University

• Laurel Kristine Chehayl, Monmouth University