Volume 2 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 67

Journal of K-12 Educational Research 65 removed from the realities of the classroom and the needs of students today. A recommendation was made that professors and program instructors should visit and spend more time in schools. An additional finding was the opinion of some participants that teaching is a calling or gift. Participants reported that some indi - viduals are called to teach and are naturally skilled to be teach - ers no matter what type of pre-service preparation they receive beforehand. Roth and Swail (2000) share the idea that some individuals possess a gift for teaching when stating, “Surely some teachers have a gift to help students learn” (p. 1). Another noteworthy finding in the study was the suggestion by participants that it would be beneficial to teacher candidates to have an early understanding of what type of school and student they want to work with as a teacher. Participants discussed the benefit to both the teacher and students for a teacher to know, prepare for, and understand how to teach and reach the student population with which they will be working. Implications These findings suggest that traditional and non-traditional pro - grams possess strengths as well as needs for improvement in the preparation of new teachers. The finds of the current study could benefit EPPs in their efforts to improve their programs to better prepare beginning teachers to take on the roles and responsibil - ities of a 21st century classroom. Additionally, the participant response data can prove important to EPPs pursing alignment with current needs of schools and districts. For school administra - tors, the results of the study suggested what new teachers need to receive during pre-service training to enter the teaching profes- sion successfully. School administrators could benefit by having a deeper pool of well- prepared teachers graduating from EPPs with the knowledge, training, and preparation to adequately teach the current and diverse student population. Individuals searching for an EPP in their quest of becoming a teacher could benefit by searching for and finding a preparation program that offers many of the components recommended by the study participants. Furthermore, 21st century learners, today’s students, would reap the benefit of being instructed by highly-trained, strategically prepared classroom teachers who possess the content-knowledge, methodology, training, and practice required to meet the varied needs of 21st century students. References Borman, K. M., Cotner, B. A., Frederick, P. B. & Mueninghoff, E. (2009). International handbook of research on teachers and training . New York, NY: Springer Brenchley, C. (2014, April 25). Taking action to improve teacher preparation. Retrieved from http://blog.ed.gov/2014/04// taking-action-to-improve-teacher-preparation/ Creasy, K. L. (2015). Defining professionalism in teacher education programs. Journal of Education and Social Policy. (2), No. 2. 23-25. Retrieved from http://www.jespnet.com/journals/ Vol_2_No_2_June_2015/3.pdf Crowe, E., Allen, M., & Coble, C. (2013). Time for progress in teacher prep. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www. edweek.org/ew/articles/2013 /06/12/35crowe.h32.html Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: The framework for professional teaching practice (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and ACurricular Development. Darling-Hammond, L. (2003). Keeping good teachers: Why it matters, what leaders do. Educational Leadership, 60 (8), 6-13. Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Evaluating teacher effectiveness: How teacher performance assessments can measure and improve teaching. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from http://cdn.americanprogress.org/ wpcontent/uploads/ issues/2010/10/pdf/teacher_effectiveness.pdf. Darling-Hammond, L. (2011). Teacher preparation: Build on what works. Education Week. 30 (24). Gourneau, B. (2014). Challenges in the first year of teaching: Lessons learned in an elementary education resident teacher program. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 7 (4), 299-317. Retrieved from http://www.eric . ed.gov/?id=EJ1073282 Haggar, H., Mutton, T., & Burn, K. (2011). Surprising but not shocking: The reality of the first year of teaching. Cambridge Journal of Education, 41 (4), 387-405.  Morey, A. I., Bezuk, N., & Chiero, R. (1997). Preservice teacher preparation in the United States. Peabody Journal Education, 72 , 5-23. Roth, D., & Swail, W. S. (2000). Certification and teacher preparation in the United States. Educational Policy Institute . Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www. educationalpolicy.org.pdf/PRELCertification.pdf