2026 Conference Archive
Shifting Mindsets through Asset Based Exploration and Application in Teacher Candidates
Location
Preston 1
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
As many classrooms have transitioned to scripted curricula, mandated materials, and test-focused instruction, teacher candidates often express a lack of experience with observing evidence-based instructional strategies in grade 4-12 classrooms. As Georgia's new Science of Reading standards focus on disciplinary literacy and multimodal learning in all content areas, candidates are again left without lessons to critically examine in placements.
To provide examples of best practices, instructors can utilize online platforms and video collections for students to analyze. By integrating videos with theory in courses, students can make connections between theory and practice, link teaching decisions to student impact, and develop pedagogical knowledge of teaching strategies to apply in their own classrooms.
This presentation will share both instructor and student perspectives and the impact on teacher candidates in working with both undergraduate and master's level students.
Keywords
teacher preparation, evidence based best practices
Professional Bio
Dr. Janel Janiczek Smith, is a senior lecturer in the Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education at Georgia Southern University. Dr. Smith has an educational background in mathematics and elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh and received her doctorate in 2013 in the field of Curriculum Studies. After teaching for nine years in public elementary and middle schools in Georgia, she transitioned to higher education. Her research interests include support for first-generation students, strategies to engage adult learners in online coursework, integration of literacy across disciplines, and supporting representations and practices in the mathematics classroom.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Janel, "Shifting Mindsets through Asset Based Exploration and Application in Teacher Candidates" (2026). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 30.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2026/2026/30
Shifting Mindsets through Asset Based Exploration and Application in Teacher Candidates
Preston 1
As many classrooms have transitioned to scripted curricula, mandated materials, and test-focused instruction, teacher candidates often express a lack of experience with observing evidence-based instructional strategies in grade 4-12 classrooms. As Georgia's new Science of Reading standards focus on disciplinary literacy and multimodal learning in all content areas, candidates are again left without lessons to critically examine in placements.
To provide examples of best practices, instructors can utilize online platforms and video collections for students to analyze. By integrating videos with theory in courses, students can make connections between theory and practice, link teaching decisions to student impact, and develop pedagogical knowledge of teaching strategies to apply in their own classrooms.
This presentation will share both instructor and student perspectives and the impact on teacher candidates in working with both undergraduate and master's level students.
