Teacher evaluation in the U.S. is in flux as states increase and intensify their attention to it to qualify for Race to the Top Funds, and as accountability for teacher quality becomes more focused. This book describes a successful approach to preservice teacher education that is designed to help prospective teachers develop the habits of mind for teaching for deeper understanding even as their lived experiences as novice teachers conspire to encourage them to study for the test of the next day's evaluation rubric.
About the Author: Colleen P. Gilrane is a faculty member in the Theory and Practice in Teacher Education Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She works with preservice and inservice teachers as well as advanced graduate students in literacy and in elementary education, and serves as Chair of the Institutional Review Board. Her teaching and research interests focus on working with teachers to create communities in which all learners have access to literacy that is rich, powerful, and joyful. Kristin T. Rearden is a clinical associate professor at the University of Tennessee, where she has focused on pre-service teacher preparation and elementary science education for over fifteen years. She received the University of Tennessee Alumni Association's Outstanding Teacher Award in 2010 and was the Tennessee Science Teacher Association's Science Educator of the Year for Higher Education in 2012. Hannah Louderback graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Psychology and an MS in Elementary Education. During her graduate studies, Hannah completed her internship in a 2nd grade classroom and did research on the use of technology by students to self-assess their reading expression. After completing her degrees, Hannah was hired to teach 4th grade at a multicultural, Title I school in east Tennessee. This teaching experience enabled her to learn how to teach in a cooperative, one-to-one technology and arts integrated environment. After teaching 4th grade, Hannah was hired by the University of Tennessee at the Early Learning Center for Research and Practice. She is the lead kindergarten teacher, while also conducting research and mentoring undergraduate teacher candidates. Jessica Covington has completed a baccalaureate and master's degree at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is licensed to teach Modified and Comprehensive Special Education grades K-12 and Elementary Education grades K-6. In her internship year she gained experience teaching in a Comprehensive Development Classroom for grade K-5, a 4th grade class, and a high school Resource class teaching English and World History. While completing her internship, she researched technology-based writing intervention for students with Intellectual Disability. She has been hired to teach in a Comprehensive Development Classroom-Activity Based and is looking forward to helping her students develop the skills necessary to achieve their goals.