Preparing Resilient Teacher Candidates Each community, school, classroom, and student is different. Consequently, the most effective teachers begin the day, the week, the year with a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. They can assess the situation and adjust quickly to ensure each student has what they need to learn.
“My 2020 student teacher did most of her teaching online. And, although she may have seen a black screen instead of a student face at times, she rolled with it and was able to build relationships with students. She was really open to anything, which helped her adapt to the situation presented.”
The College of Education recognizes the importance of preparing its teacher candidates to be flexible and resilient. As expected, the required courses include practice preparing lesson plans and managing a classroom, but the college support doesn’t stop at coursework. It offers supported field placements, student teaching, and ongoing professional development.
In addition to supporting students and parents, Shoemaker had to find new ways to support her student teacher. One of the ways they adapted to this new online environment was with shared online office hours. “We were on zoom together three hours a day, planning and adapting. During that time, we were also available for student questions.”
NO OTHER YEAR HAS TESTED OUR COLLECTIVE RESILIENCY MORE THAN 2020. Courtney Shoemaker is a FACS teacher at Le SueurHenderson. She has been teaching for 12 years and has supervised 6 student teacher candidates from Minnesota State Mankato. This year was not typical. The ever-changing public health situation, the change to online learning, and the frequent transitions from in-person to hybrid to full time online required more interaction with parents and students outside of the classroom. It was a challenge for everyone to find time to help students and parents understand schedules, troubleshoot technology, and deal with the challenges of COVID-19. “It is always a challenge for new teachers to manage their time to create lessons, complete grading, and connect with parents,” said Shoemaker. “This year was especially challenging. In addition, we needed to create lab lessons that could be done at home. “Student teachers from Minnesota State Mankato have always been willing and able to adapt to new situations. They have been knowledgeable, tech savvy, and willing to share their ideas. Several of my student teachers hosted professional development days to show experienced teachers how to use various technology platforms.”
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“This year, we expected more out of our students and, consequently, more out of the student teachers,” said Shoemaker. “Honestly, I am a little nervous for her to leave—then it will all be on me.” PARTNERS SCHOOLS PROVIDE CRITICAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING Kalley Hellman was Shoemaker’s student teacher. She feels fortunate to have had the experience she had at the Le Sueur-Henderson district. “Courtney is an experienced, well-rounded, resilient teacher,” said Hellman. “She taught me so much.” In addition, Hellman said the district provided workshops on new online education platforms and helped teachers learn how to use them in the classroom. “The district was great,” said Hellman. “All the teachers helped each other, and the principal checked in with us regularly.” She described the Le Sueur-Henderson district as a very uplifting environment, which was especially important this year. “After my student teaching, I feel really well-prepared to teach in a traditional, hybrid, or completely virtual environment.”
