Michelle Bauml

“I Want a Multicultural Classroom”: Preparing Social Studies Teachers for Culturally Diverse Classrooms

This qualitative study investigates the perspectives of two cohorts of elementary preservice teachers on citizenship education in todays culturally and globally diverse classrooms. Both cohorts were enrolled in the same university; however, one group participated in an urban-based teacher education program designed around the needs of urban school children. While participants reported varying views of citizenship and offered diverse strategies for incorporating citizenship in the classroom, findings suggested that those participating in the urban-based cohort viewed citizenship more in terms of culture and valued promoting cultural learning and sharing in the classroom. Implications for teachers wanting to teach for cultural citizenship are discussed.

“We Learned All About That in College”: The Role of Teacher Preparation in Novice Kindergarten/Primary Teachers' Practice

This qualitative case study reports how 5 first-year kindergarten/primary teachers utilized knowledge and skills from their teacher preparation program as a means of approaching curricular decision-making for instructional practice. In many ways, participants drew from university courses, field experiences, or both to help them make sense of their work and to guide their decisions. This was achieved as participants adopted, modified, imitated, or avoided what they learned during their teacher preparation program. While the findings suggest teacher education provides valuable learning opportunities for beginning teachers, they also illuminate areas of concern. Implications for teacher educators are discussed.

Learning from Preservice Teachers' Thoughts about Teaching in Urban Schools: Implications for Teacher Educators.

Preparing new teachers to work in urban schools has become a priority for many teacher education programs. This study explored 20 preservice teachers’ responses to a scenario about working in an urban school as a beginning teacher. Specific attention was placed on what participants believed were key challenges and concerns. Findings indicated that participants who exhibited interest in urban school teaching and those who did not shared similar concerns about urban teaching. These views suggest specific curricular approaches for teacher educators.

Beginning Primary Teachers’ Experiences With Curriculum Guides and Pacing Calendars for Math and Science Instruction

Considerable research suggests that standardizing curricular materials can undermine teachers’ ability to facilitate learning. Nonetheless, U.S. school districts’ curriculum guides have become increasingly standardized, with teachers being required to follow predetermined pacing calendars indicating which standards to teach during specific months, weeks, or days. Pressure to comply with curriculum guides and their associated pacing calendars is a particular concern among beginning teachers. Given these issues, this investigation explored three first-year teachers’ experiences with curriculum guides and pacing calendars in the primary grades. Although curriculum guides helped participants learn the curriculum and decide how to sequence the content, rigid campus policies that required participants to follow pacing calendars led to uncomfortable professional dilemmas and teacher resistance. Findings suggest that despite novice teachers’ fears of being reprimanded and their lack of professional knowledge, they carry out “principled resistance” to standardized curricular mandates according to their understanding of students’ needs and their deeply held convictions about what is best for the children in their classrooms.

In-the-Moment Teaching Decisions in Primary Grade Reading: The Role of Context and Teacher Knowledge

This study provides insight into the in-the-moment teaching decisions made during reading instruction in the primary grades. Eight exemplary teachers of reading drew upon pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to make these in-the-moment decisions. Findings indicate the focus of teachers’ in-the-moment decisions varied depending on the instructional context. Teaching decisions made during whole-group lessons tended to focus on motivation, engagement, and comprehension. In contrast, small-group lessons and individual conferences allowed for more individualized and student-specific teaching decisions by emphasizing problem-solving strategies, assessment, and word study. Small-group instruction emerged as a particularly significant context for in-the-moment teaching decisions as it allowed for more frequent in-the-moment teaching decisions than whole-group instruction or individual conferences.

One size never fits all: Teachers’ responses to standardized curriculum materials and implications for early childhood teacher educators

ABSTRACT The age of accountability introduced by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 triggered widespread development of local control-oriented policies in an effort to “leave no child behind.” Research makes it clear that such policies directly impact instruction. However, primary grade teachers are rarely included in these studies, leaving teacher educators with little empirical data on which to ground their work with preservice teachers as it relates to such policies. This article reports findings from a study of 15 experienced primary grade teachers who work with standardized curriculum materials. Data from these teachers’ experiences can inform today’s teacher educators as they prepare the next generation of teachers to navigate “one size fits all” curricula. Findings suggest that experienced teachers of young children adapt, augment, and extend the intended curriculum to promote academic proficiency in tested subjects in very specific ways. Implications for preservice teacher education are discussed.

Collaborative Lesson Planning as Professional Development for Beginning Primary Teachers

This qualitative case study describes how one beginning primary grade teacher benefitted from collaborative lesson-planning meetings with her grade-level colleagues. The teacher accumulated knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, and professional contexts as she participated in planning meetings each week during her first year of teaching. Furthermore, sustained, active participation in content-specific planning meetings changed the teacher’s efficacy for mathematics instruction over time. Findings suggest that both participation and collaboration with colleagues during planning meetings were central to the teacher’s knowledge development and sense of efficacy as a new teacher.

The Aztec, Frida Kahlo, and Cinco de Mayo: Mexico in Children's Literature

The authors provide an overview of childrens books published in the United States during the last decade (2000–2010) that deal with Mexico and Mexican people. Suggested guidelines for selecting quality books and a list of award-winning titles are included as resources for teaching about Mexico.