My Ideal Teacher Prep Program

What would an ideal teacher prep program be in my opinion? Well, after giving it some thought, these are my thoughts on what I think would be a successful teacher prep program in the 21st century.

The world around us is changing so fast because we live in a world filled with technology. Our society has become dependent on computers, and they are used in every aspect of life. I think it will be important to learn technology as future teachers. Distance learning is becoming increasingly more important because we have the technology to communicate with people across the world. Technology can be a very useful teaching tool, and teachers need to be able to utilize it to teach their students. Teachers must be prepared to work technology into their classrooms.

The other thing that has changed drastically in our society is how culturally diverse our schools are becoming. I think it is going to be very important for future teachers to learn as much as possible about other cultures. If teachers understand other cultures, their traditions, and behaviors, they will be better equipped to teach all students their class.  Studying abroad would be very beneficial to experience and learn other cultures.

Learning a second language is another thing that I would incorporate as part of teacher prep training. As our world continues to change and diversify, a second language would be a very valuable asset.

I think that future special education teachers, especially DCD or hearing impaired areas, should learn sign language. I have worked as a Para in the Elk River School District, and there have been many times it would have helped the student, and me if I had taken sign language.

One last thing that I think is important for future teachers is spending time observing other teachers teach. I think that beginning teachers need time to learn from watching and observing.