Podcast Episode 4: Inside the Black Box of Instruction

“Those core understandings of how kids learn to read and what does good instruction look like feel more important than some of the more rote tasks, like lesson design, unit design, that we had asked of teachers in the past.” 
- Courtney Bell, VP of Research and Innovation, Tennessee SCORE

“Expert teaching is so complex and requires such an advanced constellation of knowledge, skills, and beliefs that no matter what we do in teacher prep, we're not going to get people to that place. So when I think about my work as a teacher educator, my North Star is really, what are the things that are foundational to getting people to that over time.”
- Julie Cohen, Associate Professor, University of Virginia

“Looking ahead... I think collaboration between teacher prep programs and their districts is really important. Thinking about quality—is there a common vision of what that means? What does high-quality preparation mean? Do the EPPs and the districts have the same idea of that?”
- Leah Brown, Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks

There have been exciting developments to make teaching pathways more accessible and practice-based, with the growth of promising models like residencies and apprenticeship programs. But just as important as how new teachers are entering the profession is what they are practicing, and what instruction looks like inside these different pathways. Host and DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura is joined by Courtney Bell (Vice President of Research and Innovation, Tennessee SCORE), Julie Cohen (Associate Professor, University of Virginia) and Leah Brown (Assistant Professor of Secondary Education, University of Alaska Fairbanks) to discuss the breadth and impact of instructional shifts in teacher preparation and explore how new technologies are shaping the future of teaching.

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About “Hand in Hand, Place to Place”

How has the field of teacher preparation evolved over the last decade? Where is it headed, and how can stakeholders work together to ensure all pathways into teaching are affordable and high-quality? Hosted by DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura, this five-episode podcast series features insights from leaders and educators working collectively towards a future when all students are taught by well-prepared teachers.