Teaching Ms. Kerbin: A Unique Approach to Student Teacher Reflections and Their Use With Preservice Candidates

Abstract

This article examines a unique approach and a new tradition to encouraging student teacher reflection over time. The concept is based on a collection of vignettes titled Teaching Ms. Kerbin, which represent the collective reflections of a group of three student teachers. Seven major points of concern are addressed: (1) the first day, (2) working as a team with the cooperating teacher, (3) classroom behavior management, (4) sensitivity to the needs of children with difficult home circumstances, (5) observations by the university supervisor, (6) inclusion practices, and (7) breaking through with a difficult student. These vignettes were presented to a group of candidates just before their methods practicum and student-teaching experiences, and the candidates' comments regarding the usefulness of the vignettes were collected. The same candidates provided additional comments after completion of their student teaching, indicating that several vignettes helped to instill confidence and better prepare them for some challenges that occurred during the student-teaching experience. Approximately 1 year after the writing and sharing of the Teaching Ms. Kerbin narrative, the authors of the vignettes expressed the vital role of ongoing reflection as a mind-set that enabled them to broaden their lenses for more clearly seeing their students, the context of teaching, and themselves. Although they acknowledged the importance of reflection in and on action, they articulated the importance of creating intentional spaces for continued reflection and dialogue with peers after student teaching to further the process of making sense of their experiences and exploring their teaching identities. Through the process of reflection and making public what they had come to know, these authors gained confidence to live amid the tensions of teaching with a greater sense of resiliency and efficacy as they became more comfortable in their roles as teachers. The article concludes with suggestions for teacher educators.