Topic: The Experience of Being a Cooperating Teacher.

10-second review: Being a cooperating teacher means learning even more about teaching.

Title: “Teaching Practice: Reflections of a Cooperating Teacher.” Jennifer Ritter. English Journal (September 2009), 114-117. The secondary school journal of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Quote: “Having had much opportunity to do my own reflecting over several months, ultimately, what I have concluded is that the student-cooperating teacher experience is an exercise of balance. Finding the right moments for criticism and for praise, for answers and for questions. Discovering what you already know and what you still need to learn about teaching. Understanding when to guide, provide structure, give options, inspire, and offer choices. When to lead and when to let go. In the end, in the experience of being a cooperating teacher, I was much less a teacher than a student. And I can only hope that my students and student teacher got as much out of the process as I did.”

Comment: I think that quote embodies a pretty good definition of what it means to be a leader. RayS.