Title of BU Presentation:

Where Theory meets Practice: Forging Collaboration between School and University to enhance In‐service and Pre‐service TeacherDevelopment.

Julia Badiali, BU/Trotter Liaison, Trotter School

Jennifer R. Bryson, Language Arts Professor, SED

Don DeRosa, Science Methods Professor, SED

Brenda Richardson. Science Teacher K2-6, Trotter School

Immersive Methods Courses for Pre-Service

Teachers

The InspirationTraditional methods courses for pre-service

teachers take place on the university campus in isolation of what occurs in elementary school classrooms.

Pre-service teachers imagine or role play what the pedagogy will look like with real students.

“One-third of America’s new teachers leave teaching sometime during their first three years and almost half depart after the first five years,” especially those in low-income urban schools (Fulton, Burns, & Goldenberg, 2005).

Professional Learning CommunityCollaboration between institute of higher

education (IHE) and urban public school

Theory

Practice

Methods P

rogram

Trotter Elementary School

Race/Ethnicity

% of School

African American

58.8

Hispanic 32.2

White 4.7

Multi-Racial/Non-Hispanic

3.7

Title % of School

First Language not English

15.0

English Language Learner

12.3

Low-income 84.4

Special Education 15.0

Free Lunch 84.4

Reduced Lunch 0Gender Enrollme

nt

Male 244

Female 244

Total 488

Stakeholders

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

Elementary

Education Majors

Trotter Element

ary Student

s

Boston Universi

ty Faculty

Trotter School Faculty

Framework of the Learning Community Language Arts Methods and Science

Methods Meets one day/week at Trotter SchoolBU Faculty and Trotter Faculty serve as co-

instructorsSCIENCE

•2 hours in science methods class•1 hour immersion experience with observation, coaching, and teaching in elementary science classroom

LANGUAGE ARTS

•2 hours of Language Arts methods class•1 hour co-teaching elementary writer’s workshop class followed by teaching experience as a writing tutor

The Team

• Dean Coleman• Carol Crossen -

Director of Finance

• Mike Dennehy – Director of Collaborative Office

• Principal Nolan• Grade Three

Teachers

Don Brenda

JuliaJenn

BenefitsPre-Service

Teachers-- practical experience, mentorship of in-service teachers

Trotter Students-- more individualized attention, enthusiastic undergrads, university resources

BU and Trotter Faculty-- professional dialogue about theory and practice

ChallengesMerging the

university and public school schedulesFinding time for

collaboration and planning

Logistics of transportation

Time and materials divided between physical locations

Model for co-teaching

IHE faculty-- acknowledgement for retention, tenure, and promotion

Indicators of Success

Self-efficacyInterviews with

practicum studentsMCAS resultsStudent investment

Future Visions – The Next Phase

Continue to develop research and evaluation plansInvestigate pre-service teachers’ science self-

efficacyInvestigate pre-service teachers’ interest in

teaching in urban districtsA longitudinal study of teachers post program

investigating the impact of the Trotter/BU experience.

Increased presence of BU faculty Potential teaching candidates for BPSDissemination

lessons learnedpartnership model

RecommendationsIdentify the needs of each partnerAdministrative support and commitmentTimePhysical accommodationsSuppliesBudgetIdentify responsibilities and rolesEstablish goals and outcomes