Text 2.A What are teacher candidates like?

Adult Learners

Teacher candidates are often challenged as they grow and develop during the teacher education programs. On the one hand, they are still students and are still treated in many ways like students as they are given deadlines and due dates, guidelines, and assignments. On the other hand, they are growing into new professionals and often they desire the respect and ownership over their own work that professionals experience. Some teacher candidates grow into professionals more quickly than others and need less structure and accountability. Some teacher candidates continue to require specific deadlines and guidelines, concrete feedback, monitoring from their supervisors, and other aids further into their experiences. Fall teacher candidates are newer and less experienced than student teachers and are more likely to require more assistance.

Although new and less experienced, many of the fall field experience students and student teachers you meet display qualities of adult learners. Understanding the following qualities of adult learners may assist you in working with your teacher candidates:

Adult learners appreciate a certain amount of independence—though teacher candidates definitely want concrete assistance when they struggle
Adult learners appreciate learning from experience rather than being told everything
Adult learners are typically more problem-driven.
Adult learners are more skeptical of information than young learners—they want to “try it out” before accepting a solution or strategy or piece of information
Adult learners appreciate information that applies directly to their needs or problems
Adults need to be treated like adults
Adults often prefer to be self-directed.

Thinking Styles

Teacher Candidates’ ways of thinking will also impact their behavior and interactions. Your teacher candidate might engage in one or more of these types of thinking styles. Understanding your candidate's style can help you to provide more effective feedback and can support your communication and relationship.

Reflective Thinkers
- view new information subjectively
- relate new information to past experiences
- often ask "why?"
- examine their feelings about what they are learning

Creative Thinkers
- like to play with new information
- always ask "why?"
- make excellent troubleshooters
- create their own solutions and shortcuts

Practical Thinkers
- want factual information without any "nice-to-know" additions
- seek the simplest, most efficient way to do their work
- are not satisfied until they know how to apply their new skills to their job or other interest

Conceptual Thinkers
- accept new information only after seeing the big picture
- want to know how things work, not just the final outcome
- learn the concepts that are presented but also want to know the related concepts that may not have been included