ABSTRACT
Much of what teachers need to know to be successful is invisible to lay observers, leading to the view that teaching requires little formal study and frequent disdain for teacher education programs. The weaknesses of traditional program models that are collections of largely unrelated courses reinforce this low regard. This chapter argues that we have learned a great deal about how to create stronger, more effective teacher education programs. Three critical components of such programs include tight coherence and integration among courses and between coursework and clinical work in schools, extensive and intensely supervised clinical work integrated with coursework using pedagogies linking theory and practice, and closer, proactive relationships with schools that serve diverse learners effectively and that develop and model good teaching. Also, schools of education should resist pressures to water down preparation, which ultimately undermine the preparation of entering teachers, the reputation of schools of education, and the strength of the profession.
