Julia Johnson Rothenberg

A Comparison of Student Teacher and Supervisor Perceptions of Student Teaching

ABSTRACT This study compares the beliefs of prospective teachers about their capabilities in teaching, with the perceptions of their supervisors. Two groups of prospective teachers, undergraduates and graduate students, and their supervisory teachers are examined by questionnaire. The major difference between the undergraduate and graduate training programs is 400 hours of practical experience for the former. Student‐teachers were found to be confident before and after student‐teaching, but supervisors had differing perceptions of undergraduates and graduate students. Results are discussed both in terms of integration of theory and practice, and also the possible ambiguity and complexity of the ratings.

Lessons Learned from the First Year of an Urban Charter School

Abstract This qualitative study examined the formidable and unanticipated challenges encountered by teachers at a new urban charter school during the first year. These teachers—who largely were novices to urban education—worked diligently to motivate and teach the children—many of whom resisted classroom learning because of their frustrations in schools they previously attended. This article explores how visual arts particularly were used to excite and engage children in learning by enabling them to draw, color, and shape ideas about their world.