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Show Student cites need for more teaching practice BY JILL NEWBY Special to the Chronicle jill Newby, guest contributer is a senior majoring in biology-secondary biology-secondary education. As a freshman she choose medical technology as a major but switched because of a desire for greater interaction with people. Her dissatisfaction with current teacher education procedures is that she's not certain she'll like teaching. Her teaching experiences have " been very limited this far; she does her student teaching next quarter I and is hoping she'll like it. The impression one gets of the Department of Education is that it seems M provide an adequate program of study for future teachers by offering courses in teaching methods, curriculum planning, audio-visual aids. clc. However, there are a couple of areas in which the Department 0f Liducalion could develop (believes this spokesman of one) that would further the quality of the education program. First, more actual student teaching experiences need to be made available in education courses. The common complaint heard is that ! education courses are a waste of time because the classes lend little or nothing to actual teaching situations. Also, many times education students are asked to put themselves in hypothetical teaching situations to determine the correct behavior for a particular instance. It becomes difficult to anticipate reactions when there is little or no previous experiences to draw upon. Thus, such role playing seems to be of little value. Much more needs to be done in the way of internship programs in the public schools, and with tutoring programs in the schools and the community. Not Enough Practice 7 : ttigSr ' ' I 1 St -i - - rr(A i' If '.. . , -rrr " 1 I.I JJ- vj! L ; 'Mgti ".mum fMnnr3wi W- " 4f 1 4 J ' :,.7r,S j. Teaching a half day, five days a week for a quarter isn't enough time to try teaching techniques and learn new methods that can be useful to the individual, which is the extent of student training provided by the Department of Education. For teaching is like any other craft. One doesn't master carpentry by sitting in the classroom quarter after quarter discussing the techniques of nailing two boards together. Granted, some theory is necessary but mastery of a technique or skill comes through actual performance of that skill.lt necessarilyentails a nail and error process in which there is an awkwardness in performing die skill in the beginning, questions arc asked, new information is Mined and the performance of the skill is tried again. In this manner, one not only learns about the technique but becomes proficient in it as well. Mastery leads to the second direction the Department of Education j should follow. Mastery implies professionalism and this is one char-j,. char-j,. icteristic that educators -must have but are lacking for the most part at f the present time. S; It is easy to see why teachers have very little status among in professionals. For, it is difficult to call an educator an artist or a iv( craftsman when he is called upon to be a part-time janitor, policeman b) and secretary by the administration. There is little status in having only J( 1 small voice in consideration of working conditions and policies Si concerning learning situations. How could the Department of Education encourage this professional- sm? Of course, putting out quality teachers (quantity teachers arc obviously not needed) is essential in promoting a professional image. In m lis respect, the department should encourage its faculty to provide j ourses that stimulate creativity and provide opportunities for trying Jt new teaching techniques. Work With Associations Also, it i? imnnrinnt that die department work cooperatively with jfher associations which are also interested in promoting fesionalism in education. The Department should acquaint students thways of dealing with administrative problems and the legal rights t t , fr ; , j - V ; v 1 r , I W- . x- -' I f , - , 1- ... -'''' : . 1 "1 " - i 1 v . . 1 I jf ': - . '.- fb class j " .. - |