#TeacherEdChat Archive
We invite all educators to contribute to the conversation of preparing preservice teachers as well as practicing teachers for the realities of the 21st-century classroom. This includes principals, in-service teachers, university supervisors of student teachers, education professors, higher education administration, instructional technology specialists, and so on. Anyone with a vested interest in supporting our teachers in preparation for teaching the diverse K-12 student population is invited to participate.
Monday February 29, 2016
Welcome to the ! Please introduce yourself, your position, & where you're from
For tonight's convo, we will use a Q1, Q2...format for questions. Please use A1, A2...format for answers.
Please make sure to tag to all tweets tonight for this chat. Let your voice be heard!
Good evening ! Cherise from CA. I teach technology & literacy 2 pre-service teachers at UC Berkeley
Good evening...Regina Instructional Technology Specialist from NJ
I’m Betina, an asst professor in teacher ed & I’ll be moderating tonight’s
Dan, high school business teacher from St. Louis
Hi Cherise! Thanks for joining us tonight at ! So good to see you!
Hello ! I'm Jordan, a middle level math/English Ed major from Grove City College in PA!
I'm currently student teaching in Cal State Long Beach's credential program.
Hey Nate supa-star! Nice to see you here!
Hi Buncha! Nice to see a familiar face here at
Q1: What does it mean to be a change agent?
Hello, I'm Cindy from CSULB. My first live chat! Happy to be learning from
Hi Cindy! Thanks for joining us at
A1: To me change agents challenge the status quo, are critical thinkers & enact the change they wish to see in the world
A1: a Change Learner needs to apply things to their lives and be humbled by their kids. Be a lifelong learner!
A1 Willing to take the risks, support colleagues and continuously push the envelope
A1 change agent = actively working to upend systems & patterns that you want to see change
A1 I think the focus needs to be the nature of the change. Change is inevitable but growth is hard
yes! courage, but doing it together
Hi I'm Sarah, Nat'l teaching fellow from Hope Street Group & HS SS/ELA T in Ann Arbor, MI
A1: they are the ones that are actively trying to better the way in which they teach and enhance student learning everyday.
Glad you're joining us on tonight
Love that pic, Nathan, and your sense of humor
thanks! Glad to join in the convo!
Yup no secret for sure. Other secret agents maybe....
Q2: What are teacher educators' roles in supporting candidates to become change agents?
A2: Reflection, to me, is key. We have to help candidates think about the change they want to enact
A2: After they conceptualize the change, teacher educators can help support them to enact it.
A2 we have to teach risk. It is ok to pick the wrong idea. That there can be more than one answer
A2: Introducing tech so candidates can become leaders in their school for innovation
A2: Modeling change at their level. As ed is evolving so must pre-service education
A2: Share, model, reflect, & support would be my top 4
Yes, thinking beyond the box & that failure is inevitable for change to come about
A2: Technology is super important for kids 2 relate 2 & integrate using education, use what kids use &connect it 2 teaching!
Q2 I feel like this is why I decided to try to become a teacher. It's hard to say how to instill that primary motivation
Yes, both pre-service and grad ed programs need profs who model being a positive change agent
But I knew that...your secret is safe with me...and the twitterverse...
A2 we as professors have to be teacher leaders to be great models for students
Exactly! If we want curiosity & risk-taking for Ss, we have to support this in Ts! https://t.co/ob9c52Nj67
A2 we have to teach risk. It is ok to pick the wrong idea. That there can be more than one answer
A2: reflection, modeling, and incorporating technology into daily teaching.
A2 too many student think here is one answer to a problem and that the only thing that is important is the grade
Yes & if teachers think that, then their students will too! That's why we need change agents!
very true. Imp. 4 them 2 consider while they're in the field: what do i notice that i want to do smthng about?
A2: if philosophy of our ed programs is to "be agents of change," we need to live up to that in our teaching as well
Yes! We have to be the change too--think outside the box & innovate
Q3 coming up in one minute
A2 Also imp. 2 help Ts learn: collegiality, self-care. To be change agent requires longevity & ability to collaborate!
Q3: How do you promote consciousness among teacher candidates?
Our School of Ed includes in its philosophical framework "agent of change"
Amen! Can't be the change if we're not in this together!
Where do you get or do you create your own gifs?
have to also emphasize process & learning along the way. "Habits of mind" frame of thinking
muse the gif button on my Twitter app
A3: Promoting consciousness = promoting awareness, helping candidates read the world around them
A3 Asking them to explain their thinking. Always link pedagogical choices to a rationale.
A3 promote discuss. Add service learning projects. Work in communities
A3 I think the hardest thing is being present with the individual student and being present with the class as a whole
Yes! There's a reason for you're doing. Teaching is not about just delivering instruction
Yes, working in & with communities is critical! It's not just about seeing need, but seeing people
Yes! Being present to everything at once is a challenge-it's hard to balance focus and awareness
A3 consciousness about the individual student is personal, and it's surprising what might mean the world to a student
A3: Give them time to reflect, share & experience practices
so, so important. Just thinking about this in context of https://t.co/vIsYs2iXJi
A2 Also imp. 2 help Ts learn: collegiality, self-care. To be change agent requires longevity & ability to collaborate!
it is all about relationships. You have to give back
exactly what i was wondering...
A3 Consciousness of the whole class as an overall entity that has so many moving parts can be overwhelming.
Definitely, but to give back, you've got to be aware of the opportunities we're given each day
6:29 PM– Q4 coming up in 1 min
Haha, the moment you tweet your time cue to
A3:Reading is key to gaining knowledge, along with experience, of such cases. Feed your brain!
Q4: How do we balance developing competence with promoting change?
A4: Competences is being an agent of change
A4: There's so much to teach new teachers! The balance can seem overwhelming.
Definitely. We can't be an agent of change if we aren't respected for our competence
A4: Encouraging them to take risks with a safety net & giving practice and space in different models.
We can allow new teachers to select what is most relevant w/out feeling overwhelmed
Yes, that's a great point. Developing competence 1 step at a time, w/ our eyes on the prize of change
I love the idea of providing different models. New models can help teachers conceptualize change
A4: Giving kids the confidence to feel confident will help them grow & thus will change them & help them grow & want 2 learn
A4 As someone who's student teaching right now the idea of competence seems like a far flung dream at the moment.
A4 Competence & promoting change go hand in hand. As Ts learn content, they read it w/a critical eye in text & in the field
Competence --> confidence --> inspiring change!
A4: Giving feedback on targeted areas for growth can help. That way future Ts don't have to focus on everything at once.
What do you think teacher educators could do to support your developing competence?
i can still remember that feeling as a new teacher. certainly important to choose target areas.
Great point! We develop both simultaneously & they can fuel one another
A4 that's the thing, I feel like I need to work so hard to try to be an okay teach that trying to be great is hard to see
I think many folks here would say to focus on 1 step at a time. Change doesn't always happen overnight
A4 The stakes feel so high for your students that It's hard to not feel like your untested idea isn't just a waste of time
What can inspire perseverance in the face of that desire to give up on an untested idea?
imp to consider trajectory of teaching. yes stakes are high & yes u have 2 maintain a learner stance as well
More than one step at a time but not to overwhelm.To keep pace, need many steps w/in comfort zone
Yes, good point! Many steps w/in the zone of proximal development
But, always keeping an eye on what is most important and valuable
Q5: Why is compassion important in supporting teachers candidates as change agents?
I try to remember what is most important & why I do what I do & I make sure to focus on that
A5: Compassion is at the crux of everything including supporting teacher candidates
A5: Compassion is essential because
A5 in teaching, daily grind is a beast. important 2 respect Ts' limits & needs for listening ear, ongoing support
A5:Compassion is important w/all aspects of teaching, but esp w/ Change agents bc change is hard & we need 2 encourage change
A5: Good profs always infused compassion in their teaching be it teacher prep or any other program
A5: It's easy to feel far from being a new teacher, but the reality is that it's tough esp. if you're trying to make change
A5b to pursue change is to invite resistance. so even more reason 4 Ts to need allies & added support.
Yes! It can be lonely being a change agent & we need to support 1 another
Yes, it reminds me of your self-care tweet earlier. Allies, support, care to keep us in the change game.
A5: Compassion & empathy made easier when new Ts hear challenges, but solutions-oriented
Yes, it goes back to providing different models for new teachers
A5: It's so important as a social justice educator to know you're not alone & that people see it's hard
Do you teach courses in social justice?
Not specifically, but I infuse a social justice lens & framework into all my courses (or try my best to)
Q6:What resources can help us cultivate consciousness, competence, compassion & change?
A6: I like introducing resources from to my candidates
A6: Conferences like & NAME (National Association of Multicultural Education) can provide safe spaces & inspiration
A6: If we give Ss the choice on the way 2 present assignment & let them do their own thing learning and confidence will grow!
Q6 I think it's important to define what social Justice is. I think sometimes it feels like a trap for a political attack
A6: Resources can also be found in class. We share literacy autobiographies every semester so people know ea others stories
A6: Love resources from for & always has great global-minded sharing
Definitely, defining social justice is impt & helping students come up w/ what it means to them
Other resources to support change, compassion, consciousness & competence?
A6 Youth participatory action research, , help raise consciousness &advocacy of Ts RE: youth potential
Yes! helping candidates to see who students are outside of the classroom as change agents
powerful exercise to help build community, increase compassion. gateway to content to build competence as well
How do you deal with the nature of the political attack on social justice? weather parent or politician
Yes, in my other class, we share about our professional identities. We have to relate & build community.
that's a new one to me. thx for sharing
My job isn't to persuade/ promote, it is to support critical thinking & awareness. I keep that as the focus
Many thanks to for leading us as guest moderator on tonight
interesting idea. esp in a ted pgm. ppl do come from a variety of prof bckgrds. could be enlightening to share
Thanks for inviting me to guest moderate! So much fun & a great, important conversation
Thanks for taking part in tonight’s . See you online!
It is always enlightening-it opens up the conversation & we see what each person brings to the community
