Student Teachers Matter: The Impact of Student Teachers on Elementary-Aged Children in a Professional Development School

Teacher Education Quarterly, Spring 2004 by Fisher, Douglas, Frey, Nancy, Farnan, Nancy

But Why?

Following our analysis of the student achievement data, we scheduled interviews with each of the 10 cooperating teachers to the share findings with them. In addition, we used our weekly observations as university supervisors to confirm the reports of the teachers. Our interview data can be organized into four major areas, including (1) small-group instruction; (2) not just more adults; (3) course assignments; and (4) cooperating teachers' roles and responsibilities.

Small-Group Instruction

The most common response to our question, "how do you explain the difference between the groups of students who had access to student teachers and those who did not?" focused on the increased use of small group instruction. As one of the first grade teachers said, "The addition of the student teachers allowed me to try out the small-group reading instruction that had been the focus of our professional development seminars. I was a bit worried about trying this, but with the student teachers, we did it together."

Another first grade teacher noted that she could meet with more small groups each day because the student teachers also provided instruction. "I can typically see each student in a small group every other day given all the other things that I have to do. With my student teachers, every student received guided reading and guided math instruction every day. And some students received individual instruction on a daily basis as well!"

Along these same lines, several teachers reported that the increased number of small groups ensured that the classroom operated much more smoothly. As a kindergarten teacher said, "During my small-group guided reading instruction, I typically have a few problems with students working at their centers. Of course this management task takes my focus away from my direct instruction. With my student teachers doing guided reading while I was, we had more students on-task than ever before. And, the classroom management problems were really decreased because they knew several adults were watching them, not just me."

Our classroom observations confirmed these reports. During our multiple observations of these classrooms, we regularly observed small-group or individual instruction. For example, upon entering one of the kindergarten classrooms, we noted:

The 20 students are all working at locations throughout the room. Ms. Javier has 5 students at a teacher center in a guided reading room. Jessica (a student teacher) is working with a group of 4 students on math manipulatives and Paula (a student teacher) is seated with 4 students also doing guided reading. Of the remaining seven students, three are working on computers and four are reading 'independently' in the class library. Every student appears to be 'on-task' at this very moment.

Not Just More Adults

Given the frequency of small-group instruction as an answer to increasing student achievement, the next logical question we asked the cooperating teachers was, "so, we just need more adults in the classroom?" The answer was a resounding NO. These teachers were very clear in their responses - they had access to many adults such as aides, community volunteers, and parents. They believed that the difference was that these adults understood teaching and learning, specifically in the areas of literacy and math. The teachers also suggested that they spent more time observing, monitoring, and guiding these adults due to the fact that they would soon become teachers themselves.