When our schools closed down right after spring break, I was worried about the 28 student teachers that suddenly had no classroom to practice in. With 5 weeks left of the semester, as faculty, we suddenly needed to advocate for our student teachers both with our licensing boards and with the public school mentors who also were in a very precarious space where the information from principals and superintendents changed daily for a little while. These kinds of uncertain times are the best teachable moments for a long time educator like me. It calls for purposeful innovation, calm, and Tim Gunn fortitude to "make it work." What I found out from my student teachers was that they were missing one or two formal observations. These formal observations are our way to help student teachers to "turn the corner." I am not sure how else to describe this phenomenon but I know it when I see it. When student teachers "turn the corner," it is my "all is rig...
Connecting Random Readings to the Courses I Teach