Week 1: Signature Pedagogy

In their introduction, Yendol-Hoppey ane Franso present thoughts that are similar to the ones I held about Shulman’s SP definition. I agree that the definition is unclear and somehow general, however, Shulman brought up good discussions around the SP’s characteristics and dimensions. Also, although, I enjoyed having examples of other professions (e.g. medicine and law) as part of the discussion, I was starving for examples of SP within teacher education. As a term, SP is completely new to me, but as a meaning, it is very familiar. Indeed, the readings reminded me of myself 5 years ago when I came to the US for the first time from a different part of the globe, from Kuwait, with some held beliefs and assumptions about the new world of teacher education that I am going to enter. I thought that there are well-defined signature pedagogies within the field of teacher education in the US and that I’ll be able to study and practice these pedagogies within their context. It honestly wasn’t disappointing to see that my dream wasn’t ready yet because knowing that it is a global issue was so relieving. Moreover, while reading, many thoughts and wonderings have crossed my mind and these are actually similar to the ones Tracy mentioned in her post. I started thinking about how in education we try to avoid “prescribed practices” and wondered how would the SP be distinct in this regard because it’s really critical, at least to me, to reach a comprehensive understanding of the SP.

In terms of connections to my own practice as a teacher educator, I believe that some of the suggested tools and ideas could be very powerful when they are well applied. Video recorded teaching cases (multimedia documentations) and reflection on teaching are just examples of the tools mentioned in the readings. Having concrete cases to be viewed along with a space for analysis, critique, discussion and etc seems very promising. Written materials do not always reflect clear meanings or allow readers to truly live the described events or situations. Engaging preservice teachers in group discussions where they can share their thoughts in a safe environment is what I personally value and what I strive to offer for my students. We might not have signature pedagogies ready yet, but we have such tools that could make a difference in the quality of learning experiences we provide to our future practitioners in the profession of teaching.