ERIC EJ915874: Best Practices for Transformational Teacher Education: The Full-Immersion Professional Development Schools Alternative

2009·0.46 MB·English

by  ERIC

Best Practices for Transformational Teacher
Education: The Full-Immersion Professional
Development Schools Alternative
Joseph A. Polizzi
Marywood University
ABSTRACT: This article reports findings to promote the best practices of a transformative teach-
ing and learning environment, from a case study of a yearlong full-immersion secondary-level
professional development school. The results support the idea that interns have a significant
stake, an active professional community commitment, and a heightened awareness during
their training and before their employment. As a result of the full-immersion professional devel-
opment school experience, interns experience a significant transformational impact in their
personal and professional grounding as future career educators. Best practices for the promo-
tion of authentic teacher preparation are discussed.
There are alternatives to the current models of Netherlands and Japan, forming professional
teacher preparation and development: They development schools (PDSs) and providing
embody different assumptions about teaching professional learning and development experi-
and learning and the transformation of school- ences to university faculty, experienced teach-
ing—assumptions that appear more compati- ers, and the preservice teachers. There are
ble with the complex demands of the context many encouraging signs that PDSs are posi-
of teaching (Little, 1993). The long-held prac- tively affecting the traditional ways in which
tice of a future teacher’s spending 3 years at teachers are trained, recruited, inducted, and
the university, then the final two halves of the developed (Levine & Trachtman, 1997; Mule,
4th year in a field experience based on student 2006). Many PDSs are playing a valuable role
teaching, has been questioned, namely, regard- in school reform efforts. They are transforming
ing whether it is an effective or authentic the way that school districts and colleges of
preparation model for future teachers (see education work together to bridge the gap be-
Roth, 1994). Preservice teachers often give tween theory on one hand and practice, aca-
their in-service experiences a failing grade— demic preparation, classroom learning, in-
calling it limited, inconsistent, and discon- service experiences, and transitions on the
nected from their coursework (Neville, Sher- other. Castle, Fox, and O’Hanlan-Souder
man, & Cohen, 2005). Many educators (2006) found that PDS teacher candidates
advocate for a more professional, clinical, and performed at higher levels (compared to non-
authentic approach to the preparation of new PDS teachers) on aspects of instruction, man-
teachers (Campoy, 2000; Darling-Hammond, agement, and assessment and that these higher
1994; Goodlad, 1994). Over the past decade, levels of performance are intertwined with a
partnerships between colleges of education sophisticated understanding of the connec-
and school districts have taken root in school tions between and across various aspects of
districts nationwide and in such places as the teaching.
98 School–University Partnerships Vol. 3, No. 2
Best Practices for Transformational Teacher Education 99
As the idea of the PDS becomes a more integral albeit separate functioning schools-
widespread and established part of the educa- within-school collaborative effort. At their
tional lexicon (as recently recognized by the best, PDSs do create a schoolwide culture that
National Association of Professional Develop- incorporates teacher candidates as full partici-
ment Schools [NAPDS]), the term professional pants of the school community (NAPDS,
development schoolhas been used as a catch-all 2008). Although Nos. 2, 3, and 7 hint at a full
phrase for various models of school–university immersion into a school community, the
partnerships that may or may not be described NAPDS definition stops short of designating
as an authentic PDS. The NAPDS (2008) has the experience as such. As school districts,
articulated the following parameters to more colleges of education, and departments of edu-
clearly define a PDS: cation further consider instituting PDS poli-
cies, the development and implementation of
a PDS should encapsulate the number of hours
1. A comprehensive mission that is
broader in its outreach and scope than required of a PDS intern to serve in a clinical
the mission of any partner and that fur- capacity in the school district. Literature on
thers the education profession and its teacher preparation points to the extensive in-
responsibility to advance equity within ternship in a PDS as a critical element of effec-
schools and, by potential extension, tive teacher education (Darling-Hammond,
the broader community; 1999). However, one area of concern involves
2. A school–university culture commit-
the discrepancy from PDS to PDS and the ac-
ted to the preparation of future educa-
tual amount of time that an intern may spend
tors that embraces their active engage-
in the classroom and school context, as com-
ment in the school community;
pared to that of someone going through a tra-
3. Ongoing and reciprocal professional
ditional student teaching field placement. For
development for all participants guided
example, in 2003, the State of Maryland re-
by need;
4. A shared commitment to innovative designed its PDS standards and requirements,
and reflective practice by all partici- calling for PDS programs in the state to ideally
pants; aim for 100 days (full-time) across two semes-
5. Engagement in and public sharing of ters of in-school experience for certification.
the results of deliberate investigations Currently, the overall length of the full-time
of practice by respective participants; portion requirement (5 days per week) of any
6. An articulation agreement developed
PDS internship varies, with 15 weeks as a min-
by the respective participants delineat-
imum full-time placement (Maryland Partner-
ing the roles and responsibilities of all
ship for Teaching and Learning K–16, 2003).
involved;
The number of days in many regular on-
7. A structure that allows all participants
campus student teaching programs is between
a forum for ongoing governance, re-
15 to 20 weeks at 5 days per week, which is
flection, and collaboration;
8. Work by college/university faculty and equal to 75 to 100 days per year and which still
P–12 faculty in formal roles across in- falls far short of a full-year immersion. In some
stitutional settings; and instances, organizations consider a PDS simply
9. Dedicated and shared resources and 20 weeks of traditional student teaching
formal rewards and recognition struc- spread out over the course of a full year.
tures.
Clarification is still necessary that further Research Aims
distinguishes PDSs from the traditional stu-
dent teaching models. With the definition of This study looks closely at one full-immersion
the NAPDS, it is difficult to truly discern dif- secondary-level PDS where its intern teachers
ferences in a traditional student teaching field followed the same school district clock and
experience and a PDS experience, which is an calendar of a 6.5-hour day (approximately 32
100 JOSEPH A. POLIZZI
hours per week) for 180-plus school days, two PDSs. A distinctive component of the ele-
equivalent to that of all full-time teacher fac- mentary- and secondary-level PDS programs is
ulty working in the school district. As such, the dual nature at which interns may be ac-
this study addressed one key research question: cepted to the program—at either the bache-
What best practices are relevant to transfor- lor’s level or the master’s—although it is im-
mational learning and experiential profes- portant to note that the two PDSs are entirely
sional development in a secondary-level PDS? separate entities. They each have separate fac-
ulty and district members as leaders and sepa-
rate educational processes and ideologies, al-
Context of the Study though both utilize an inquiry model and share
an annual student conference and both
Data were collected as part of a larger study have won national awards for their distinct
conducted of a secondary-level English / lan- programs. The study solely focuses on the
guage arts PDS during the 2005–2006 school secondary-level English / language arts PDS.
year. This study is an interpretive qualitative The founding and forming of this PDS em-
research of a PDS partnership formed between anated from Dr. Jameson, an associate professor
the Creswell State University (CSU) College of language and literacy at CSU. Upon arriving
of Education (a pseudonym) and the surround- at CSU, he noticed a division in the program
ing Mountain Peak Area School District for preservice teachers, finding that the field
(MPASD, a pseudonym). The school district is experiences and the methods courses were not
unique because of its proximity to CSU, shar- directly linked in any unifying way. He later
ing culture and resources in many ways. The found that foundations of education courses
school district performs at levels that exceed were not linked to the field experiences as well.
state and national norms in numerous areas; it He knew that these three areas are mutually
has a 95% graduation rate, with 86% continu- supportive and informative. The lack of clarity
ing for postgraduate schooling and training. A and unity across the divisions prompted him to
large percentage of the graduating seniors from explore different avenues to create a more ex-
Mountain Peak High go on to become 1st-year periential, engaging, and cohesive program for
students at the CSU campus located in the preservice teachers. His aim was to restructure
school district. Mountain Peak High, where the field experience into something that was
the secondary-level PDS is located, has ap- more collaborative and situated in the school
proximately 2,600 students in Grades 9–12. setting. The groundwork for the founding of
The CSU College of Education has one of the the PDS lay first in changing the space–time
largest teacher preparation programs in the na- relationship of the preservice teachers’ experi-
tion, with more than 600 potential future ence. A hybrid educator, Dr. Jameson devel-
teachers graduating each year. Of these stu- oped a close relationship with the chair of the
dents, approximately 60 graduate with a degree English department at MPASD. Being a certi-
and certification to teach secondary-level Eng- fied public school teacher, he came to an agree-
lish. Of these, 15 completed their final-year ment with the district to teach one high school
field experience during the 2005–2006 school English class during the school year while
year, student teaching at the secondary-level maintaining his university teaching responsi-
English / language arts PDS where this study bilities. The student teaching students placed
took place. During that school year, the PDS in the school came to his classroom to engage
had 14 interns at the high school level and 1 at in dialogue and learning. As negotiated
the middle school. The elementary PDS places through Dr. Jameson, the chair of the English
approximately 60 students in all 10 elementary department was now teaching one class on the
schools in the school district. In sum, about university campus for student teachers. Sym-
10% of the students who graduate each year bolically, this exchange was one of the first im-
from the College of Education complete their portant moves with the intent of creating a liv-
field experience by participating in one of the ing laboratory for exploring pedagogy in the
Best Practices for Transformational Teacher Education 101
language arts in the high school—one of his degree interns]), 1 alumnus (Ben), and 5
aims in starting the PDS in the first place. alumni who are now teachers with the school
As of 2009, the MPASD–CSU secondary- district (4 in the PDS: Lisa, Cindy, Nica [men-
level PDS is in its 11th year of operation, hav- tors] and Sally, a former mentor and the district
ing started in the 1997–1998 school year with associate) and who are working in various ca-
only one intern. The program is unique in re- pacities within the PDS organization (as semi-
gard to its size; that is, after its 1st year, it grew nar facilitators and administrators, e.g.). Inter-
to include 4 interns, but since then, it has views included an alumnus associate who
never selected or admitted more than 16 in- worked in a triangulated relationship (Lonny)
terns in any given year. There are currently 93 and the founding director of the PDS (Dr.
alumni who have graduated from the Jameson), who is an associate professor in the
MPASD–CSU secondary-level PDS. The language and literacy program at CSU, for a to-
PDS operates as a school within a school, and tal of 16 interviews. In addition, before the start
it follows as its primary time organizer the of this study, I conducted a pilot study that
MPASD calendar, not the university calendar. aided in preparing for this research. Presented
The PDS is fully integrated into the school here is a sampling of the findings and dialogue
day of the MPASD. As well, not only do the from the participants interviewed.
interns follow the operating and educational
procedures of the PDS, but they also follow
district policies for sick days and vacation and Theoretical Framework
for many of the same rules the school district
teachers follow on a day-to-day basis. Rather than conceptualize teacher develop-
ment as being lockstep with a series of univer-
sal stages regardless of setting or experience,
Method teacher educators emphasize the interrelation-
ships between teachers’ learning and develop-
The principal data collection methods were in- ment and the context of their learning
depth interviews, participant observation, and (Darling-Hammond & Branford, 2005). The
document analysis. In-depth interviews were problem facing future educators is not neces-
conducted between February and May 2006, to- sarily that of having enough experience but
ward the end of the intern’s full-year immersion rather how one can apply his or her life expe-
in the PDS. Before the interviews, participants riences in useful and beneficial ways within
were asked to respond in writing (on hard copy the constructs of one’s professional roles and
or via e-mail) to a preinterview survey, which environment. Transformational learning the-
served as a basis for discussion and inquiry in ory is a process of exploring, assessing, and
the face-to-face meetings. Interviews lasted 45 working to change limiting frames of reference
to 90 minutes and each was conducted in a pri- and habits of mind, having individual and so-
vate area of the school or in a neutral, mutually cial dimensions and implications; it demands
agreed-on space. All interviews were recorded that we be fully aware of how we come to our
and transcribed. District and university docu- knowledge and what values lead us to our per-
ments pertaining to the PDS were coded and spectives (Mezirow, 2000). Transformative
transcribed, and more than 40 hours of observa- learning involves dialogue—inquiry, rational
tion were logged. All current members of the discourse, or, simply put, conversation that en-
PDS organization were asked to be interviewed ables individuals to make self-discoveries. As
for the study. Some did not wish to be inter- people make self-discoveries, their feelings,
viewed. In sum, 14 current PDS participants images, and thoughts become unified with
and alumni were interviewed for the larger their actions (Wade, 1997). Legitimate pe-
study: 8 interns of the 2005–2006 school year ripheral participation and situated learning of-
(Beth, Drew, Barb, Pam [bachelor degree in- fer a helpful framework in understanding the
terns]; Jordan, George, Jen, Connie [master’s relationship between experiential professional
102 JOSEPH A. POLIZZI
development and transformative learning in these strategies were employed in the MPASD
the context of a full-immersion PDS context. secondary-level English PDS, and the findings
Legitimate peripheral participation and situ- build on these ideas. The community clearly
ated learning encompass the social and rela- worked hard to cultivate a perspective, envi-
tional aspects of learning within a community ronment, and expectation of reflective prac-
of practice. They are activity theories not sim- tice, thereby creating a solid basis for transfor-
ply concerned with doing as disembodied ac- mative learning (Stein & Farmer, 2004),
tion; rather, they refer to doing as object trans- which, from an educational perspective, is an
formation, with a contextualized activity of interactive process (Wade, 1997). My findings
the entire system, not an isolated activity. In further suggest that the following practices aid
the PDS, interns become completely im- in cultivating an environment conducive to
mersed in the community of practice and learn promoting transformative learning in a full-
through participating on a daily basis over the immersion PDS.
course of one school year in this environment.
The participation model for establishing au-
Practice 1: Authentic Immersion—
thenticity is predicated on the assumption
Space–Time Dimensions and Reality
that an activity’s authenticity depends on the
Student Teaching
extent to which learners engage in authentic
practices of a community (Barab & Plucker,
Designing the PDS program around the school
2002). Learning occurs through discourse, dia-
district calendar, not the university calendar,
logues, participating in activities, and the
and requiring the intern teachers to be gov-
complex web of social relationships that exist
erned by the same work rules and policies as
in the community that embodies a profes-
their mentors are considered best practices in
sional practice. In this process, authentic
the light of this study. Nica, a mentor and an
learning occurs through immersion. Legiti-
alumnus of the program, indicated that the
mate peripheral participation and situated
PDS “is like your 1st year of teaching, with
learning refer not just to local events of en-
scaffolding.”
gagement in activities with people but to a
The PDS organization followed the school
more encompassing process of being active
district calendar as far as holidays, professional
participants in the practices and processes of
development days, and school and work hours,
social communities and thereby constructing
and the interns governed themselves by many
identities in relation to these communities
of the same rules that their mentors followed
(Wenger, 1998).
regarding leave, sick days, and other school–
employee regulations. Interns were required to
be present for the entire school day; they inte-
Data Analysis and Findings
grated themselves into and so participated in
the regular professional development work-
“If one aspect of knowing oneself better is the
shops; and they attended department meetings
ability to reflect upon one’s place and function
and retreats that were part of the schedule—
in society, another aspect is the ability to re-
same as their mentors. They did not follow the
flect upon and come to a better understanding
CSU calendar year as their college peers did.
of the implementation of that function”(Bot-
tery, 1996, p. 191). Experiential, hands-on
From the very beginning, in the retreat
learning activities offer a powerful medium for
week, they’re saying, you know, “This is
promoting transformative learning. Cranton
going to be like your 1st year teaching.
and King (2003) outline five practical strate-
You are a part of this community. You are
gies to promote and encourage transformative
going to basically be a teacher. You have a
professional development: action plans, reflec- lot of the same responsibilities. You do a
tive activities, case studies, curriculum devel- lot of the same things.” So, from the very
opment, and critical theory discussions. All beginning, they wanted us to feel like
Best Practices for Transformational Teacher Education 103
equals, you know? (Beth, bachelor’s de- preparation. You know, you have to make
gree intern) fictitious lesson plans for lessons that you
will never teach, which is ridiculous. You
want to be able to teach that lesson and
This was a transformative structural ad-
then reflect back on that lesson. So the
justment in the professional training and de-
next time you do it, you can realize how to
velopment of the interns. It adapted the stu-
do it better. You know? And it just—it
dents’ spatiotemporal dimensions to the
doesn’t make any sense to me at all. And
standards of the local school district’s teaching
so I feel like, if there were many programs
professionals, rather than to those of being a
like this, throughout the country, it could
college student. This practice also alters the really make things so much better for stu-
interns’ work standards, in the structural ele- dents, for teachers, for everyone, you
ment of learning to teach, to the standards of know? (Beth, bachelor’s degree intern)
a professional environment (the school dis-
trict) by not adhering to the standard of the The school district as the classroom be-
college learning environment, which students came the experiential playground for learning
are familiar with and which is altogether dif- to teach, as opposed to the university campus
ferent. Adjusting to the new environment and and the lecture halls, which have all the asso-
the articulated standards of professional prac- ciations of college life for interns to manage.
tice is essential to helping the novice teacher Learning to teach in the PDS replaced the col-
communicate effectively and keep both eyes lege structures, and the students realized a new
focused on high-quality teaching and in- form of learning, one that has a professional
creased student learning (Moir & Gless, configuration, which they are initially unfa-
2000). The intern’s frame of reference is al- miliar with but then inquire about and figure
tered—from one focused on being a college out for themselves through the immersion.
student and doing well in a class to one set on Immersing oneself into a PDS community
the professional norms and expectations of a is a transformative process. It first requires de-
classroom teacher. In addition, nonoccupa- centering from the university classroom and
tional behavior was controlled as well. Be- recentering to the PDS, to the school site, to
cause of this new schedule, students’ social, the community of practice; it is about moving
work, and sleep habits were different from from a known environment to one more am-
those of their peers, all being aligned with biguous, more unknown. The interns must
what it will be like when they become em- trust and then follow the inquiry process to
ployed as teachers, thus creating a new pattern new knowledge. In doing so, learning occurs.
to adjust to and follow. There is a crucial difference in the professional
development of new teachers—between what
happens in a university classroom (when stu-
I feel like, instead of having 6 weeks
dents are taking a class on how to teach) and
where you’re sitting in a classroom and
you’re kind of watching when normal stu- what happens when a student is actually learn-
dent teachers, they basically, from what I ing to teach (in the real and situated context
observed, sit in the back of a classroom, of a school and classroom).
observe for, let’s say, 10 weeks, and then
teach, you know, 3 or 4 weeks, reflect for There have been a lot of times I haven’t
2 weeks, and then they’re done! And I felt harmony within this program. That I
just—I can’t imagine feeling prepared af- really thought—I mean, I’m a structure-
ter that! And going to teach a classroom based person. I crave it, and so this has
of students, you’d be fumbling! For years! been really kind of—I mean, I feel suc-
Because you have to learn lessons over cessful in it, but it’s been really kind of un-
and over and over again. And from other settling for me, because, it’s just like, okay,
parts of the educational process that I’ve I don’t know, I have to figure out, and I
experienced at [CSU]—they’ve been don’t know how to figure this out. I just
nothing like a PDS. It’s all very generic have to do it, and it’ll come. So, I mean,
104 JOSEPH A. POLIZZI
there have been a lot of times where I was The learning process embodies the dy-
just like, “Man, I wish that I were sitting namic tension generated in this active PDS
in a lecture hall and being told, and then environment.
just having those 8 weeks.” Although,
those 8 weeks would not have made me That is what this whole model is about—
feel comfortable at all going into my 1st that if we had learned how to write a les-
year. So, I mean, in that aspect, this is son plan when it did not matter, when we
completely invaluable. (Jen, master’s de- weren’t writing lesson plans for our stu-
gree intern) dents and knew how that lesson plan was
going to work in the classroom, it wouldn’t
In the PDS, the interns are not told what to have made half as much sense as it does
do; they learn to make up their own minds. En- now. And to know what my lessons
tering the unknown environment comes with looked like before I came up with a solid,
an entirely new set of problems—ones the clear rationale for why I was doing what I
was doing and to see the difference be-
novice has never encountered. This is the
tween what happened when I didn’t do
essence of the immersion, and the learning be-
that and what happened when I do that
gins with this tension and how the interns re-
now, I realize that like you . . . part of this
spond to it. By learning in the situation and be-
whole immersion model, this inquiry
ing in the moment, the intern is challenged to
model is that you feel your needs when
do and to form his or her own sense and you need them. (Pam, bachelor’s degree
meaning—creating his or her own paths, learn- intern)
ing in collaboration with the other interns and
forming perspectives side by side with mentors One learns how to teach when one is ac-
and the other working professionals in the com- tive, engaged, and immersed in the school
munity. Learning in the classroom or lecture community and the classroom. Removing or
hall often exists only in the abstract, in the abstracting ideas from the school environment
mind. It is the creation of an unknown for the takes away from the authentic nature of con-
interns to make known so that they may en- structive learning. The aim for the students is
counter and own the embodiment of a profes- to make sense of the school, learning, and pro-
sional experience that the PDS creates. fessional environment for themselves and
their PDS peers, on the basis of their own ex-
perience, histories, and education, with guid-
There are two fundamentally different ex-
periences, and ambiguity is something ance provided along the way from the insight
that is at the heart of an activity, which is of mentors and associates as needs arise.
very much tried to be planned against; it
can be planned against in the abstraction. I think the PDS is a critical juncture in
I think it again goes back to the idea of ab- your life, and I was, I knew in college
straction versus activity because in the ab- what I needed to do to get a good grade.
straction you can control what is literally I knew. A teacher could come in, a pro-
learned and you can control what is pre- fessor could come in, and like total I
sented in the order which it is presented guess, size you up, I knew exactly what to
and how it is done and you can talk about do to get my A and be out . . . [how to
it. When you thrust someone into an ac- game the system]. Right. And that was
tivity, you have no idea of what is going to what I did all through college, and I was
come out; you have no control over all the very successful at it. And when I came to
random variables that happen in this ac- the PDS, shortly after a few weeks, Mary
tivity; and you have to be comfortable [Nica’s mentor] said she didn’t use points
with the ambiguity, and what comes out is . . . and the whole idea of learning and
not at all certain. What comes out of trusting the process and, like, doing
these experiences, you have no idea. something to find, like, to explore, not to
(Cindy, associate/alumnus) just get an A or just to get the end result.
Best Practices for Transformational Teacher Education 105
That was when inquiry smacked into me. Mixer Day. After interns are selected, the
And I wasn’t resistant at all. I found it annual Mixer Day occurs, when they are ini-
liberating. (Nica, alumnus, mentor) tially exposed to being matched with mentors.
On this day, which takes place at the end of
the previous school year, prospective interns
Practice 2: Initial Selection,
admitted and accepted to the PDS come to
Mentor–Intern Matchups, Mixer Days the high school and spend the afternoon
meeting their potential mentor teachers.
The comparative impact of initial social-
There is a luncheon in which the university
ization makes considerable difference in
associate (Dr. Jameson) and district associates
the life of an occupation. Where such so-
are present. There are also 20-minute round-
cialization is potent, the predispositions of
table, question-and-answer sessions between
newcomers become less important
through time; the selves of participants the mentors and the interns. Small groups of
tend to merge with the values and norms interns rotate from table to table, meeting po-
built in to the occupation. The opposite tential mentors at Dr. Jameson’s direction. Af-
holds where socialization experiences are ter all have met, Dr. Jameson starts the mixer
weak; in that case, the attitudes, values off with the following story:
and orientations people bring with them
continue to influence the conduct of the There was a group of rabbis in New York
work. (Lortie, 1975, pp. 55–56) City who saw that their flock was begin-
ning to marry out of the faith. So the rab-
bis decided to have a mixer with the peo-
Students become part of the secondary-level
ple of the faith to get to know each other
PDS through multiple pathways: self-selection
better so there could be more marriages.
and application, counselor guidance, and out-
Then, after the mixer, the rabbis decide
reach. There is a selection process that in-
who will wed each other.
cludes a writing assignment and an interview,
for screening purposes. Matching the mentors During round-robin discussions, each of
and the interns is a complicated, fun, and flex- which lasts about 20 minutes, the mentors de-
ible process that takes into consideration mul- scribe their teaching style and what they are look-
tiple factors before a match is made. It is trans- ing for in an intern. The interns then ask ques-
formative in that it applies a subjective as well tions, ranging from the mentors’ subjects and
as objective process to the selecting and levels taught, their philosophy of discipline in the
matching process. classroom, why they came to teaching, and so
Selection into the PDS program, along forth. The mentors ask the interns how they
with the immersion into the school district came to find the PDS, what they see as their
culture, is the interns’ initial induction and so- strengths, what their backgrounds are, and the
cialization. Only a small portion of the CSU like. Interns and mentors try to ascertain and dis-
students who are studying to become English cern who would be their best match. The mixer
teachers apply to and get selected to partici- is lively and geniune, with much high-decibel-
pate in the PDS. Those who are selected dis- level laughter and discourse. During the four 20-
play an ability to pursue their learning in a minute sessions of the interns rotating among the
spontaneous way, and they exhibit au- mentors, the discussions come to a fevered up-
tonomous characteristics that will lead them roar. The district associate, Sally, who 8 years be-
to success in the PDS program. “We look for fore was the first intern (during the pilot year of
some degree of dependence in structure, and the PDS program), says to the group about the
somebody who seems to be overly dependent matching process:
on being told what to do is somebody who we
are not comfortable [with] . . . somebody who There is some ambiguity built into this
we have reservations about” (Dr. Jameson). process as well. What you start out with in
106 JOSEPH A. POLIZZI
the beginning of the year . . . things shift, Interns spend a significant portion of their
and may change, you may wind up with day right next to their mentors, watching, ob-
two different mentors . . . you may not serving, engaging, and, most important, shar-
wind up with at the end. Students and
ing and collaborating in the day-to-day respon-
mentors may find the perfect match now,
sibilities of running a classroom. As much as it
but may switch and find someone else.
is a mentor–intern relationship, it is also like a
The ending is a surprise for everybody.
marriage in that there is a synergy created
(Sally)
when a duo are well coupled. This synergy em-
anates from a more leveled approach to the re-
At the end of the 20-minute sessions, Dr.
lationship; that is, a collaborative teaching re-
Jameson again speaks, first thanking the men-
lationship between the mentor and the intern
tors for opening their arms to the interns. Fol-
is an ideal component part of the PDS. As
lowing this, the interns go into a separate
noted in the MPASD PDS handbook,
room with Dr. Jameson to talk about whom
they think they would like to be paired with.
PDS is about needs. . . . PDS is about trust.
Each intern and each mentor are given a sheet
. . . PDS is about magic . . . serendipity,
to rank one another—ones whom they think
chance, luck, spontaneity—the world is
they can work with and ones whom they do
anything but an orderly place. Co-teaching
not. Mentors rate interns with “hearts, stars,
automatically takes knowledge out of the
and daggers,” as one associate puts it, in rela-
realm of pre-authorized truth and supports
tion to how they see their interests and per- a dynamic experience between two teach-
sonalities working together. ers exploring the world—comparing notes,
The mentors stay at their tables, dis- exploring multiple hypotheses or interpre-
cussing and rating the interns. They follow tations, setting up an environment for
the same process regarding each intern, tak- thinking and inventing ideas about the
ing notes during the discussions. They share world. (p. 5 [internal document])
their feelings and inclinations with other
Many interns and mentors meet outside of
mentors but not in public. While this hap-
school and have weekly planning meetings in
pens, Sallywalks around, table to table, shar-
their homes; they also regularly meet at a local
ing her impressions with the mentors about
diner to reflect, talk, and plan for the coming
the interns. After the interns and mentors
weeks. The mentor represents a salient other,
are through ranking each other in terms of
someone in the classroom environment whose
desirability and potential matches, Dr. Jame-
role is to act, communicate, and interpret the
son and Sally go through a process of review-
implicit and explicit standards that the intern
ing the ranking sheets and ultimately decid-
uses for evaluating his or her performance in
ing which interns will work with the
the classroom. As Borich (1999) notes, the
mentors at the start of the year. Personality,
role of the salient other in the development of
strengths, weaknesses, and interests are all
a teacher’s self-identity cannot be overempha-
considered in the matching process. Al-
sized. It is the salient other who nurtures or in-
though this study did not delve into the
hibits the developing teacher—encouraging or
depth of the relationship between the intern
discouraging her or him to talk freely, ask
and his or her mentor, the interns clearly had
questions, and learn from the relationship.
dedicated, nurturing, and professional rela-
tionships with their mentors that went be-
yond mere training in classroom instruction Practice 3: Placing Inquiry and Core
and into the myriad of attitudes and disposi- Professional Ideas, Experiences, and
tions of an educator. Portner (2002) notes Questions in the Center of the PDS
that mentoring takes place within a working
Organization
relationship and that the development of a
working relationship requires the active par- Although inquiry plays an important role in
ticipation of both parties. PDS models, I want to stress the reasons why.
Best Practices for Transformational Teacher Education 107
Putting inquiry in the center of the PDS or- those experiences to generate knowl-
ganization allows for a constant flexibility and edge (experience ideas/texts in action
a continual questioning that form the nature instead of just adopting ideas already
of learning and knowledge. It allows for open- defined)
5. inviting all members to share descrip-
ness in understanding the possibilities of
tions of their experience to expand and
learning and the myriad conceptions and
share the base for analysis, not to es-
forms that learning takes. Questions and ideas
tablish right and wrong answers
as held within the heart of the interns’ prac-
6. authoring and sharing symbolic repre-
tice, as well as in the guiding principles out-
sentations of the ideas synthesized
lined in the PDS handbook, act as a transfor-
through experience (talking, writing,
mative impetus within the experiential drawing, filming, documenting, etc.)
learning context. The PDS of MPASD has at 7. continuous questioning by all of the
its core a culture of inquiry. In this light, the value of particular words, actions and
inquiry model structures interns’ activities artifacts to accomplish desired activi-
around their actual immersion into the teach- ties and knowledge
ing environment—identifying the issues, 8. continuous revision of activity and
knowledge to better serve the immedi-
questions, and tension of the situated learning
ate interests and needs of all commu-
environment; contextualizing that which is
nity members (embracing change and
inquired; representing the ideas in a personally
the local) and to facilitate the move-
and professionally relevant and inspired form;
ment of ideas and people across bound-
critiquing that which is learned; and, finally,
aries of space, time and culture
transforming one’s perspective and frames of
9. through ongoing social interaction,
reference based on the process. At its center, continually inform each other’s under-
the process utilizes empirical qualitative re- standing and next inquiry. (MPASD
search techniques in wondering about ideas— PDS handbook, pp. 6–7 [internal doc-
observing, note taking, interviewing, juxta- ument])
posing, and categorizing, all to elaborate and
learn from one’s inquiry questions. It is a pow-
At the center of the PDS is the idea of im-
erful and multifaceted educational stance and
proving the literacy levels of the students as
component of the PDS that has a deep initial
well as the interns; all energy and much inquiry
and ongoing resonance throughout the organ-
work toward this end. The transformational ef-
ization. This is the essential structure of a
fects occur through engaging in, inquiring
meaning-making process within the PDS or-
about, and coming to an understanding of the
ganization. As informed by inquiry learning,
core PDS beliefs and goals.
the PDS culture of MPASD is characterized by
The process is transformational in the act-
nine attributes:
ing out, interpreting, and individually engaging
with those PDS attributes, as well as in the con-
1. a community of learners in which stant progression of individually and collabora-
members with a range of experience tively answering the compelling professional
and knowledge contribute with equal questions that are at the heart of the partici-
power and voice. pant’s practices. Dr. Jameson revealed that at
2. a negotiation of the purposes and con-
the heart of his teaching is the idea of ambigu-
sequences of each activity for personal
ity, or the admittance to more than one inter-
identity, social relationships and
pretation of an idea. The culture of the PDS or-
greater shared understanding
ganization is a reflection of the consciousness of
3. potentially infinite directions for mem-
its leader, who worked to clear an existential–
bers to organize experiences to
constructivist space for interns, teachers, and
serve/question personal/community
valued learning purposes associates alike to critically explore personally
4. a strong reliance on firsthand experi- and professionally relevant teaching ideas that
ences, and the analysis of patterns in drive their desire to “do what it is they do as