Pre-service Teacher Training Advice
At a recent gathering in Quatsino of new and experienced rural educators, the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) teacher education department asked for advice pertaining to pre-service training for teachers whose first classrooms might be rural and/or multi-graded. A collation of their ideas and advice fell into three categories; resources, coursework, and support.
RESOURCES
"be resourceful with the resources you can make available
"resources that are useful for teaching ie. Provide strategies that work for multi-grade classes.
"Learn what resources are out there to keep you current/ ongoing PD, what does it look like/ know what's available to help before they leave school to teach
"sharing of units and themes
"resource center for multi-grade themes
COURSEWORK
"learn how to teach a common lesson/concept and adapt for individual needs
"courses for open-ended multi-leveled lessons (cross-curricular)
"technology- know how to use it and solve problems
"everyone to have coursework in special education
"recognizing and being familiar with special needs
"exposure to examples of yearly plans in multi-grade
"less theory, more practical
"child development
"strategies to teach all grades together
"simplify lesson/theme, long term
"one concept with different expectations
"classroom management
"planning, schedules, see sample year plans
"curriculum overlap
"sample classroom – visits to classrooms
"how to set up expectations for each grade, what would that look like
"sample unit plans for multi-grade
"where to start – big picture, looping, 3 year cycle
"teach specific thinking and learning skills, not all specific outcomes
"how to plan for a TOC who is not a teacher
"what does it look like to "adapt?"/ how do you do it at all grades?/adapting for a lower grade level vs. special needs
"what does it look like to teach a whole group – differentiation? Adaptation?
"Curriculum formatting, big picture
"special education designations
"behaviour plans in multi-grade
"child development
"social capital/ poverty
"observations in challenging classrooms
"multi-grade teaching as a specialty
"philosophy of multi-grade
"coursework on social skills of acceptance of all peers and creating a classroom of children with empathy, inclusion, support, etc.
SUPPORT
"give ourselves permission to move children as far as we can, beginning at the level they are at, instead of feeling the need to "cover" the curriculum
""fish bowl" - constant, keep a low profile, join a club to integrate as "a person," not just the teacher
"have more sponsor teachers from multi-grade situations. Encourage rural districts to take student teachers
"where to look for assistance – lists of self-help/support curriculum
"mentoring networks
"peer coaching
"address the sense of isolation
"connection with a mentor – someone to check in with/ define what "mentor" means
"know the roles of the people in our districts (union and board office)
"how to survive living in a rural/isolated community, in a fishbowl, always seen as "the teacher"
"know what admin duties are/ lists of contacts and resources
"parental communication and inter parental politics
"sponsor teacher training/in service
"revamp practicum eg. Team approach
"partner with a diversity of schools
"more mentorship
Many thanks to everyone for their help and thoughtful insights!
