Ideal Teacher Prep Program

 I think many things could be done to improve programs for teacher preparation. The first and most important thing I think they should change is giving more time for student teaching. I have talked to so many people who are teachers today and they say they have by far learned the most during their student teacher experience. I think allow students more time to get hands on experience is so crucial because the only way you get better at something is to actually get out their and do it. I don't feel that the time that we have for student teaching is near enough right now. Another aspect I think that could be included is requiring general educators to take more classes on special education, specificially on strategies on how to teach these student's with exceptionalities because they will all be in our classrooms. I am going into elementary education and for that reason I am planning to get a special ed minor, but many teachers do not have that minor so I think more classes should be required to take for teachers who are planning on going into general education. The last thing I believe would improve the teaching preparation is requiring students to take 2nd language electives, maybe switching some of the goal areas that are recommended for generals and instead of just offering the 2nd language actually require teachers to have to take a couple of those classes so they at least have a background of another language. The student's that I did my field experience with had spanish class two days a week and I think it would be very helpful if the main teacher also was familar with the language so they could not only learn it during those two class periods a week, but incorporate it into some of their everyday activities.