Modeling Flexibility for Middle Level Teacher Candidates during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

Leah L. Kahn, Stephen F Austin State UniversityFollow
Michelle Williams, Stephen F. Austin State UniversityFollow

Abstract

Faced with school closures in spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, middle level teacher candidates were left with no way to finish their field experience. The challenge continued into the fall with many schools providing only virtual learning and some not allowing visitors on campus. This article describes the steps one university middle level program implemented to create an engaging, meaningful field experience while modeling flexibility for the teacher candidates.

Author Bio

Leah Kahn taught middle level science for 25 years in Texas and New York. She currently teaches courses in middle level education and science methods at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and supervises middle level certification students in their field experiences. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.Ed.in Educational Administration from SFASU. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Dr. Kahn’s research interests include engagement of the middle school student in academics, the influence of mentor teachers on the teaching effectiveness of pre-service teachers, and STEM integration in middle schools.

Dr. Michelle Williams taught special education for 20 years, served 11 years as a middle and high school administrator in Kansas and Texas, and is currently employed as a professor and coordinator of the middle level grade and all level special education programs at Stephen F. Austin State University in the Department of Elementary Education. She holds Masters Degrees in Special Education and Educational Administration and completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Stephen F. Austin State University.

DOI

10.20429/cimle.2021.250206

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Kahn, Leah L. and Williams, Michelle (2021) "Modeling Flexibility for Middle Level Teacher Candidates during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Current Issues in Middle Level Education: Vol. 25: Iss. 2, Article 6.
DOI: 10.20429/cimle.2021.250206
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol25/iss2/6