Interns Aren't Empty Vessels: Portraits of Sociocultural Context's Impact on the Development of Teaching Skills

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Thinking and Teaching Differently: Teachers Confront Themselves

Abstract

Those who are becoming teachers are not empty vessels to be filled by their teacher preparation programs – they are well-formed human beings with rich histories and vibrant sociocultural contexts. Their lived experiences inform how they interpret their coursework, apply it to practice, and understand teaching situations. If teacher educators can understand their students in this way, they can better structure curriculum and support their development. These in-depth portraits of teacher-interns – based on two years of observation, interviews and artifact analysis – help illuminate the dynamic and socially-grounded process of learning to teach.

Author

• Bryan Mascio, Harvard University