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ERIC Number: ED496153
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Apr-19
Pages: 17
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Annotated Observations: Field Notes and Reflections
Thomas-Fair, Ursula
Online Submission
Purpose: The purpose of this action research presentation is to invite discourse on the intersection of race, gender and instructional decisions in the classrooms of student teachers. The purpose of this study is to also examine the thoughts of a university supervisor during clinical observation with respect to her positionality as a woman of color supervising white student teachers. Strategies include using field notes in conjunction with INTASC Standards for Beginning Teachers. Methodology: This action research project took place in rural and suburban school districts with four (4) student teachers in elementary and middle school classrooms. The student teachers worked with a medium sized heterogeneous group of students. The group size was about 19-25 on a given day. This took place within the spring semester of the school year. The documentation of the strategy was anecdotal and based on the principles of action research. Results: The exposure to the deconstruction and analysis in the context of engagement, race, class, and gender presented the benefit of the student teachers examining instructional choices. Another benefit was that the student teachers were forced to apply the teacher education goals and standards of the teacher education program to their own teaching practices and choices for those practices. The final benefit of this clinical experience was that the student teachers were motivated to think aloud and lead discussions of the student teaching experience. It allows optimal participation from the university supervisor and student teacher and a constant flow of communication about the central issues at the heart of instruction and student engagement; all tied in some fashion to race, class, and gender. Conclusions: The outcome of analyzing the conversation drawn from this text within the clinical experience is that it plays upon the natural discussion of university supervisor and student teacher as a motivator for exploring the instructional choices, socio-behavioral management and the impact of student engagement via the perception of the learning. Another outcome is that the university supervisor found a new medium in which to gain insight on her student teachers' perception of learning; revealing the themes of metacognition, self-efficacy, and relationship. The relationship of this field experience to the purpose of the research is manifested in the rich discussion and authentic transcript conversation of the students. Recommendations: It is imperative that university supervisors offer more avenues that activate the conversation of reflection and reflexive practices in the classroom. These and other metacognitive practices with regards to understanding how one exists during a teaching moment make for lifelong learners and independent thinkers.
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A