Promising Practice: General Education Teacher Candidates Shadow Students Receiving Services Outside the General Education Classroom

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Building Capacity for All Future Teachers to Work Effectively With Special Needs and Language Learners

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a qualitative study examining the effects of a required field experience for general education pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers shadowed one of their students from their internship classroom receiving services outside the general education classroom. Shadowing provides a means for developing understanding of diverse elementary students' daily experiences. Through shadowing, pre-service teachers have direct exposure to service delivery, best practices for behavioral and academic strategies, and collaboration between service providers for students who have disabilities and students who are English language learners. Teacher educators may use opportunities to shadow elementary students in order to deepen understanding of the needs of students who struggle in school.

Author

• Jenny Elizabeth Parker, Western Washington University