The Future of Teaching

An idea for a more hands-on approach for new teachers.

I will be honest when I say that I am worried about the ability of schools to stay fully staffed in the future. I am also worried that the profession is not as alluring to the younger generation as it has been in the past. Do I think that there is a future to be had? Absolutely! But I also think that we need to be preparing interested individuals to face the real challenges of teaching with tools and support both before and during their first years in the field.

I am in my seventh year of teaching elementary education.  Before that, I had experience working in a variety of positions in a variety of fields/professions. I also got my master’s degree and teaching license but didn’t use it until many years and three kids later. I started teaching when I was in my mid-forties. So, even though I jumped into the classroom as a mature adult with a fair amount of life experience, I was still overwhelmed with all that this profession entails. It makes me question; is a four-year degree, with a short stint student teaching really preparing individuals to step confidently into a classroom setting? Or should we consider more of an apprenticeship model instead?

I realize that I am “just a teacher,” but I am also the wife of a plumber and the mother of two children who are employed by him. One has his journeyman’s license, and one is in his third year of the plumbing apprenticeship program.  Apprentices are not only required to work full-time for four years with a licensed professional. They must also get paid and have to attend four years of schooling at night (two nights a week during the school year). (This is a little different than going through a trade school program.) So, why couldn’t we have a teaching apprenticeship program that is similar. Perhaps one that requires an Associate Degree, then two years of apprenticeship in a classroom with a master teacher – in conjunction with night school classes? After two years of such apprenticeship, they could have a college degree, real hands-on experience, and would be ready to start year one on their own with their feet under them instead of being a deer in the headlights. Is this a radical idea? Is something like this already happening?

Teaching is a challenging profession for a number of reasons. When I look back and realize that I spent the first three years of this career just trying to figure it all out….it is depressing to say the least. So, how are we going to entice and retain individuals into the field of education, no matter what age? This is just an idea I had and felt it was worth throwing it out there!