Planning for Middle Level Clinical Experiences During a Crisis

Authors

Kent Divoll, University of Houston - Clear LakeFollow
Kelly Moore, University of Houston, Clear LakeFollow

Abstract

This article describes the trials and tribulations that a middle level education program faced during the global pandemic and recommendations that others can take away from these experiences. The provided suggestions for middle level teacher education programs are specifically for the current pandemic, but can be used for other disasters as well. We advocate that educator preparation programs develop a plan to deal with possible school closers or other disruptions to their field placements to prepare for the next disaster. Some of the recommendations include: (a) create an emergency plan, (b) cultivate relationships, (c) prepare your candidates in the best practices of online teaching and educate them about online teaching platforms, (d) focus on the well-being of the candidates and not just ensuring that they complete the requirements, (e) consider relationship building skills when hiring field supervisors, (f) include strategies that help candidates understand how to deal with stress into your curriculum, and (g) adjust to situations on a case-to-case basis.

Author Bio

Kent Divoll, Ed.D., Associate Professor at the University of Houston – Clear Lake teaches Curriculum and Instruction courses in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. His research interests include classroom management, middle level education, relational pedagogy, teacher preparation, professional development, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He has served as the Chair, Vice Chair, and Program Chair for the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Classroom Management SIG.

Kelly Moore has an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston-Clear Lake where she serves as the Director of the Center for the Professional Development of Teachers. Prior to her university service, Dr. Moore spent twenty-six years in public education where she taught elementary & intermediate school, served as a campus curriculum specialist, assistant principal, principal, and central office administrator.

DOI

10.20429/cimle.2021.250208

Creative Commons License

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

Recommended Citation

Divoll, Kent and Moore, Kelly (2021) "Planning for Middle Level Clinical Experiences During a Crisis," Current Issues in Middle Level Education: Vol. 25: Iss. 2, Article 8.
DOI: 10.20429/cimle.2021.250208
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol25/iss2/8