Changes Needed In Teacher Training Programs

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As a recent graduate of UW-Platteville's School of Education, I am a firsthand witness to many of the flaws in our educational system, but particularly the treatment of those who are in training; our educators of the future. I was forced to ask myself the question, "What does this tell us about how education is valued in the state of Wisconsin?"

First off, I would like to say that I love our state, and I am very appreciative of the education I received both in high school and at UW-Platteville. However, if there's one thing I learned in the School of Education, it's that there's always room for change and improvement. I think there's much room for improvement in the way we train and treat our future educators.

At Platteville, I began as an engineer because of the opportunity it would give me in the future. When I discovered that engineering just wasn't for me, I decided that I fit much better into the field of education. But why shouldn't there be advantages in the education field as well? While studying at Platteville, I had ample opportunity to compare the academic careers of future engineers as opposed to future educators.

It seems that if one wants to become a teacher, one must take a five year vow of poverty. How do I come up with this number? During our student teaching period, we must pay full tuition. I see this as a problem because we are not in any way full-time university students. The university's job during this period is to place us in a school and to check up on us four or five times during the semester with a traveling university representative who critiques our lessons. Our cooperating teacher receives a token amount which in no way compensates them for the work they put into mentoring the younger teacher. Does all this add up to $3,500 per semester? I don't think so. In addition to this, because we are working 40 hours per week or more, we have no time to work an extra job to help with the cost of rent, food, and tuition. And lastly, our loans start accumulating interest shortly after graduation. All this ads up to about five years of paying off loans because we aren't able to earn money during our student teaching experience.

Now let's compare this to the situation engineers find themselves in. Already in their second year of studies, they can begin gaining valuable job experience as well as earning money during a summer internship. The closest comparative experience available to future educators is counseling at a summer camp of some sort, which we all know pays peanuts.

When an engineer decides to enter into a co-op or an internship for a semester, do they pay full tuition? No, they register for only three credits. They also earn money on the job because engineering firms realize that not only are they learning, but they also bring valuable new ideas to their work place. These students are still learning, but they also provide fresh perspectives and sometimes they have a better grasp on use of technology and new methods and procedures than those who have been on the job for 10 years. Do not our education majors also bring with them fresh ideas and techniques as well as the latest research and understanding as to how students learn? And yet, all this is taken for granted, and we must pay to work 40+ hours rather than earn some money to help us on our feet and into the world of education.

Now I am well aware of the budget problems our state has, and I am well aware that education is a public institution and that engineering firms are private, profit driven firms. I am also aware of the theory that says, "We don't want teachers who are in it for the money; we want teachers with heart." However, I also know of the problem of teacher burn-out. After a few years, the young teachers begin asking themselves, "Is this really worth all the trouble? I haven't had one bit of help along the way." Yes, we get encouragement by the truck load. Words without actions. For teacher appreciation day, we get little post-it-note pads that say "Teacher's are Great!" But how about giving us an extra $100 per year for classroom materials? Out of the question!

So why do we make it so difficult for young educators? Do we have some sort of "trial by fire" theory? Will we blame it on budget problems and use our bureaucratic system to simply place the blame on some other department? Or will we take an active role in initiating change and showing some appreciation for those future educators. God knows the job is difficult enough without already starting off in the hole.

So what solutions do I propose? Well, I look at how I earned money during the summers to pay off my debts. I waited tables in Door County. Good money yes, but was I really doing anything to improve myself as an educator? I don't think so.

It would be wonderful if our state created, sponsored, and actively promoted on our campuses summer working programs where education students can both earn at least $4,000 and gain valuable educational experience. I'm sure that something could be coordinated with school districts' summer school programs. University students could stay with families or teachers who are involved in the programs, they could be a benefit to the community, begin developing professional relationships with schools and fellow teachers, and gain valuable work experience.

I would also propose either a break in the full tuition we have to pay for student teaching, or some subsidized funding. Engineering students and medical students receive this treatment, why not also our education students?

I would also like to propose that school districts can help to meet some of their costs by hiring the best education students on internships. I know at the moment hiring a student-teaching intern on as a full-time teacher is technically illegal, but I think with the institution of other reforms such as these summer programs, the best and brightest education students will have enough training to teach a class on their own with the help of daily conferences from a teaching mentor. It is well known that smaller class size and team teaching contribute greatly to the overall quality of education. Why shouldn't we tap the vast resource of young professionals in our universities to start implementing some of these? Making use of our educators in training would in no way jeopardize the position of full-time teachers, and would, in fact, be of a great benefit to them. Making more internships available would both lighten the financial burden of school districts and students.

Finally, a loan deferment plan would greatly aid education students. Of course, if all the other proposals were instituted, this plan might not be necessary, but I also understand that loan deferment is the easiest plan to actually put into action.

I know that all these things cost time and money and require planning. I know that no one can expect immediate results. But I firmly believe that if some of these changes are made, the state of Wisconsin will be much more effective at training and retaining the best educators for our students.

From Our Readers main page

Posted April 1, 2004