How to Choose a Teaching Program

Pre-service experience just means any teaching practice you get before you lead your own classroom. This experience can come in a variety of forms.

In bachelor’s degree, master's degree or certificate-only programs, your pre-service experience typically includes one or two semesters of working in a mentor teacher’s classroom. This is usually called "student teaching" and often occurs during your final year. You'll generally start off observing and then start teaching more and more.

In an alternative certification program, you’ll teach your own class while you earn your teaching certificate. That means plenty of hands-on experience! Some alternative certification programs also offer pre-service practice (with an experienced teacher) for a semester or during summer school.

Teacher residency programs usually offer a full year of pre-service teaching experience. This includes some practice during the summer, followed by a “clinical year” working in a school full-time.  

Why is hands-on experience important? 

Common sense says practice helps, and the data agrees. In a 2017 survey of Dallas-Fort Worth teachers, teachers with pre-service experience as a part of their preparation program were 16 percent more likely to say they felt prepared for their first year in the classroom.

Experienced teachers also said that the opportunity to observe other teachers and practice teaching were important for success as a first-year teacher.

Make sure to ask any prospective programs about what their hands-on, pre-service experience entails, including:

• How long it lasts.
• How the program selects mentor teachers.
• How you will receive feedback on your practice.

Your teaching program should prepare you to teach students with diverse learning styles, cultural backgrounds and social and emotional needs.

Preparation to teach diverse populations can include: 

• Classes that specifically address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students.
• Training on how trauma can affect learning.
• Coaching and feedback on culturally relevant teaching.
• Learning how unconscious biases can lead to disproportionately disciplining some students, especially students of color.
• How to check for biases when teaching.

Why is teaching diverse populations important? 

Dallas-Fort Worth is home to a growing number of students from racial/ethnic minorities and a growing number of students who are experiencing poverty. It's also a hub for refugees, which creates opportunities for really diverse schools

Many students, especially those experiencing poverty, come to school impacted by trauma. Trauma can cause students to enter "fight or flight" mode more often, making it harder for them to absorb lessons. Luckily, there’s a growing body of research helping educators effectively support these students, so they can thrive in school.

Ask teaching programs how they prepare teachers to work with diverse students, including:

• What, if any, required courses focus on diverse populations.
• What hands-on practice you’ll get working with diverse students.
• What skills you’ll build to work with diverse students.

Your teaching program should provide an experienced and highly effective mentor, teacher and coach to give meaningful feedback during your training process. 

Mentor teachers

In most programs, you'll work in a classroom with supervision from a mentor teacher during your pre-service experience. Mentor teachers give you constructive feedback to help you grow in ability and confidence.

Program coaches

Programs also send coaches to visit and observe you in your classroom at regular intervals. Coaches can give you additional feedback and help you work through challenges.

Sometimes, coaches will visit you even after your pre-service experience is over, when you’re the primary teacher in a classroom!

Preventing burnout 

Some teaching programs dive into how stress impacts your well-being, and how to develop tools to stay healthy and thriving in the classroom. After all, teaching — like all impactful professions — is challenging. Having strategies for self-care will help you avoid burnout. 

Why is mentoring and coaching important?

When you’re starting out as a teacher, you want to learn from someone whose work you want to emulate. Many teachers will tell you that having a mentor teacher, especially a mentor in a similar subject area and grade level, is critical for success. 

Your mentor teacher can have a big impact on the kind of teacher you’ll become, your attitude toward teaching and your professional growth mindset. 

Ask teaching programs about:

• How they select mentor teachers and coaches.
• How they match you with a mentor teacher or coach.
• How they ensure that mentor teachers and coaches model effective practices and give helpful feedback. 
• How they help teacher candidates learn to manage stress and avoid burnout. 
• Whether they provide any continued support during your first few years as a teacher.

Your teaching program should show commitment to continuous improvement of its teacher training practices. This might be the hardest criteria to spot as you shop for programs. 

Programs with a strong commitment to improvement might: 

• Ask for regular feedback from students, recent alumni, partner schools and districts. 
• Research data on child development and learning styles. 
• Actively recruit and retain diverse teacher candidates, mentors, professors and instructors. 
• Partner with diverse schools, districts and professional enrichment programs.
• Set clear goals and standards for student achievement and skill-building. 
• Make changes in response to current events in education, policy and cultural shifts. 

Why is commitment to improvement important? 

Our world is changing rapidly, and so are the skills you’ll need to teach students. To be prepared for the classrooms of today and tomorrow, you’ll want your program to be up-to-date on research about childhood development, serving diverse populations and how humans learn and grow. This benefits you and your future students!

You can ask prospective programs about their improvement practices, including: 

• How they collect, share and use research and data with teaching faculty and students.
• How they gather feedback from students and alumni.
• How they assess partnerships with schools and districts.
• How they respond to school and district needs. 
• How they stay up-to-date on effective, relevant educational practices.