Teachers Can Learn When Students Teach: Professional Learning Opportunities in Co-Teaching

• In Event: 63.085 - MTCC Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: 63.085-8 - Mentoring Partnerships for Professional Development and Socialization

Abstract

In recent years, elevating teachers' professionalism has become a key element of the effort to improve educational systems around the world. This has led to a flourishing discourse concerning professional learning and means of promoting professional learning opportunities. This paper discusses how mentoring student teachers while co-teaching alongside them in academy-class, an Israeli alternative preparation program, urged co-teachers to adjust their lesson environments, which in turn created situations rich with professional learning opportunities for these co-teachers. Specifically we claim that sharing teaching responsibilities with the students encouraged lowering the stakes of teaching, promoted consciously planning lessons and allowed leading a flexible learning environment rich with professional learning opportunities.

Authors

• Tal Carmi, The MOFET Institute

• Eran Tamir, Tel Aviv University