From veteran parent to novice teacher: A case study of a student teacher

Abstract

This paper presents a case of a secondary student teacher in a midwestern school in the United States. She was one of the growing number of women who are making the decision to become professionals later in life, after having experienced roles such as marriage, parenting, and other jobs. The study focuses on her adaptation to the role of a teacher and factors that influenced the adaptation process. The student teacher's development is traced, during the 10-week term of student teaching, through changes in her teaching and related changes in the language with which she described her experiences as a student teacher. These changes included increased time devoted to the impact of instruction on order in the class, and less time to classroom management alone. Her adaptation to the role of teacher was influenced significantly by the personal resources she had due to her age and life experience. They provided her with the strength to operate according to own values, even when they differed dramatically from those of her cooperating teacher.