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Universities are exploring ways to better prepare teachers for the classroom and to keep them there. Building cohorts of pre-service teachers is one of the ways currently under scrutiny. The University of Memphis began a new cohort-based, grant-funded program entitled Recruitment and Retention through Reinvention of Teacher Education (3Rs) to prepare middle-school math and science teachers in the summer of 2006. This article presents the results of a qualitative study on the effects of a four-day experiential learning program on the development of the 3Rs cohort of middle school pre-service teachers. Participants indicated that their experience was an effective way to build a graduate student cohort. Close relationships with each other were developed and support from the faculty was noted. Few pressing concerns were voiced. Getting away for an overnight stay, focus on educational best practices, and demonstrating the need and importance of this experience were listed as essential to the program.
Keywords: Cohort, Experiential Learning, Pre-Service Teachers
Universities are exploring ways to better prepare teachers for the classroom and to increase teacher retention. According to an article by Desjean-Perrotta (2006), preparing and retaining qualified teachers is an important issue in education today. She asserts that a preservice teacher's fitness to teach is not based solely on grade point averages and standardized tests, but largely on dispositions and interpersonal skills that can be developed through cohorts. Research shows that roughly 30% of novice teachers leave the teaching profession after their first year of teaching (Granziano, 2005). The National Center for Education Statistics reported that across the nation 9.3% of public school teachers leave before they complete their first year in the classroom, and over 20% of public school teachers leave their position within their first three years of teaching (Rosenow, 2005). Building cohorts of pre-service teachers is one of the ways currently under scrutiny as it relates to better preparation for teaching and increasing teacher retention (Desjean-Perrotta, 2006).
Building cohorts through experiential methodologies has emerged as one potential strategy to effectively prepare teachers and increase retention. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of one such program.
Review of Literature
Experiential Learning Theory
The concept of experiential learning dates back to the early 20th century. Its philosophy underlies the ideals...