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8.1MB - College of Education - Auburn University

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Teacher-in-Residence provides valuable<br />

perspective for pre-service educators<br />

Wherever Marcia Webb’s travels take her in supervising<br />

elementary education interns, she hears a<br />

familiar refrain from principals and teachers alike.<br />

“Everywhere I go, the principals and teachers<br />

just rave about our interns and how <strong>Auburn</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />

has the best,” said Webb ’73, who graduated<br />

from <strong>Auburn</strong> <strong>University</strong> with a degree in elementary<br />

education.<br />

The high marks received by <strong>Auburn</strong>’s preservice<br />

teachers stem, in part, from the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong>’s<br />

efforts to help them seamlessly blend theory and real-world<br />

practice. One <strong>of</strong> the ways undergraduates develop that balance is<br />

through their exposure to pr<strong>of</strong>essionals like Webb, a veteran educator<br />

who returned to the college in fall 2010 as its first Teacher-in-<br />

Residence.<br />

“I am very impressed with what I see [from <strong>College</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong> students]. They’re very mature,<br />

very pr<strong>of</strong>essional. They want to do a good job<br />

and are very open to suggestions for change. They<br />

want reflection. They’re always looking to grow.’’<br />

The Teacher-in-Residence program, an extension <strong>of</strong> the national<br />

award-winning Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development System partnership<br />

between the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong> and <strong>Auburn</strong> City Schools, enables<br />

a tenured K-12 educator to take a 1- to 2-year hiatus from his or her<br />

everyday position in order to supervise interns and teach courses<br />

at the university. In addition to preparing interns for the challenges<br />

they will face in elementary school classrooms, Webb is also using<br />

the opportunity to further her education. She is pursuing a doctorate<br />

in rehabilitation and special education.<br />

“After two years, I go back in the classroom and someone else<br />

comes out,” Webb said <strong>of</strong> the Teacher in Residence arrangement.<br />

Marcia Webb works with a cohort <strong>of</strong> pre-interns.<br />

Webb, who has directed the Academic Venture enrichment<br />

program at Cary Woods, said she has enjoyed her time working with<br />

the college’s elementary education students.<br />

“I am very impressed with what I see,” she said. “They’re very<br />

mature, very pr<strong>of</strong>essional. They want to do a good job and are very<br />

open to suggestions for change. They want reflection. They’re always<br />

looking to grow. When I was here [as a student], the elementary<br />

education program was known to be one <strong>of</strong> the best around and I<br />

think that it still is one <strong>of</strong> the best.”<br />

While Webb helps <strong>Auburn</strong> students refine their teaching techniques,<br />

their interactions are very much a give-and-take. Through<br />

the site visits that comprise part <strong>of</strong> her intern supervision responsibilities,<br />

Webb has been able to learn about some <strong>of</strong> the practices<br />

being applied to good effect in different area schools.<br />

“I am enjoying getting out and seeing what’s going on in the<br />

other schools and picking up ideas that I can bring back to my classroom,”<br />

Webb said. “All <strong>of</strong> the schools are good. <strong>Education</strong> is very<br />

important to the <strong>Auburn</strong> community.”<br />

PDS in Action<br />

The Teacher-in-Residence program<br />

serves as one example <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development System<br />

collaboration between the <strong>College</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong> and <strong>Auburn</strong> City Schools. The<br />

system seeks to foster collaboration among<br />

educators, students, parents/guardians and<br />

other community stakeholders. To learn more<br />

about the Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development System, visit<br />

auburnschools.org/pds.<br />

Webb brings interns together to discuss their experiences.<br />

6<br />

K e y s t o n e V o l u m e V I I , 2 010

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