Teacher Training Books

Although case based instruction has been a staple of business education since about 1920, there is almost no research on the effectiveness of this approach. When teacher educators started trying case based approaches, the attention of educational researchers was drawn to the issue. The chapters in this volume thus focus on the hopes for case based instruction (drawing upon what instructors in other fields as well believe they are accomplishing with this approach) and also report some initial research efforts in the field of education. The research methods are relatively weak. Figuring out how to measure the effects of such education in order to evaluate it is a challenging problem. But this book seems to be pretty much what there is at this time.
I found other books associated with the Harvard Business School that I purchased at the same time to be more interesting to read, but they lack evaluative research.

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Alysia D. Roehrig, Michael Pressley, and Denise A. Talotta, Stories Of Beginning Teachers: First-Year Challenges And Beyond is an informed and informative survey and description of the unique and manifold challenges new classroom teachers face, replete with anecdotes from teachers during their first year on the job, including memorable encounters, students, and tasks. A highly accessible look at the especial travails of one of the most important occupations concerning the future of humankind, Stories Of Beginning Teachers is especially commended reading for anyone contemplating embarking upon a teaching career.

Originally, I thought this book was a pretty good overview for beginning teachers, but after reading other books, like Your First Year as a High School Teacher, which really gives you all the info you'd need to do the job (or at least get a jump start!), I realize that the practical side of this book is completely missing. Read only if you're interested in the academic argument!

original review:
This book builds on the tradition of case studies of first (and second) year teaching. The early chapters are an academic review of existing literature, and set up the layout for this study. In contrast to some previous studies, the editors of this work were extremely precise in their assessment of problems facing beginning teachers. They use 22 different categories, with which they organize some 574 different difficulties cited in earlier literature. In the second half of the book, you can read the stories promised in the title: a series of accounts written by first-year teachers, students in the education program at Notre Dame. Having now taught part-time for a year, I can relate to many of the difficulties mentioned, and as I move into full-time teaching, I can already see many of the other difficulties arising.

I highly recommend this or similar books to any beginning teacher--while this book is somewhat scanty on advice (except in the second half, and then you may or may not find the stories relevant to your own teaching situation), simply finding your own concern in the list of difficulties is comforting--you know you are not alone. The book is well-organized, and a fast-read, as it is not labored down by statistics. Interestingly, it also compares the survey results from new teachers to results from more experienced teachers. Perhaps best of all, the literature review it provides suggests many other collections you may find valuable.

Keep in mind that this is not a practical solutions book--it is an academic study to determine the difficulties that new teachers face.

Learning Circles was designed for teachers in the elementary and secondary schools and those individuals involved with teacher professional development. "Learning circles", as defined by the authors, are small groups of learners who come together to support each other in learning. The authors discuss the six key conditions needed to create a "learning circle." These conditions are:

Building Community "...building community means making sure members get to know won another, their work histories, their life stories, and their areas of interest." (pg. 9)

"...is a basic condition necessary for empowered learning by individuals and for the group as a whole." (pg. 9)

4 stages of building community -- initialing maintaining sustaining transforming

Constructing Knowledge -- "Teaching cannot be based on telling learners what we think they should know but must be done by engaging them through active learning experiences so they form their own conclusions about situations presented to them." (pg. 10) Should be a constructivist learning environment--engage the learner

Supporting Learners -- the participants should share a common goal, this goal is created together and made explicit, participants must feel valued by other group members

Documenting Reflection -- keeping journals, analyzing student learning, videotaping teaching sessions for peer review, summarizing learning circle gatherings

"Metaphors are mirrors in which we observe ourselves and windows through which our colleagues can gaze." (pg. 69)

Assessing Expectations -- group determines expectations collectively, group agrees on a process for assessing, individual progress, create and maintain portfolios to demonstrate personal growth and professional change, Approaches to Assessment -- Self-Assessment, Peer-Assessment, Portfolio Assessment

Changing Cultures -- cultures are constantly changing--members of "learning circles" should engage in "thinking about how the culture of their classroom and students or their businesses, churches, or organizations could be changed by their individual or collective efforts." (pg. 11)

Ways to learn about cultures -- artifacts, dance, acting

You may be wondering what all of this has to do with Mentoring. ""Learning circles" are based on the earliest understanding of how people learn--through mentorship." (pg. 106) The learning circle offers possibilities of "group mentorship", where several people work closely together for the good of the group.(pg. 107) A group, that I'm working with at this time is a "learning circle". We have all the conditions required to have a "learning circle." We are also mentoring each other. The authors say that mentoring plays a critical role in the transformation of an organization. They give 3 roles for the mentor in any group:

Mentors must be competent and qualified in their own right

Mentors accept responsibility for the culture

Mentors identify ways they can formally and informally structure the learning of new members and experienced colleagues