Teacher Preparation as an Inspirational Practice

Building Capacities for Responsiveness

How can teacher educators provide prospective teachers with a philosophical foundation for dimensions of teaching associated with responsiveness to students? How can they help focus teacher candidates, during their through coursework and, especially, during clinical experiences, on developing their capacity to be responsive to students as unique human beings?

Drawing from the literature base on teaching’s moral dimensions, this book establishes a conceptual framework for responsiveness, describes obstacles to its actualization, and suggests approaches for nurturing responsive capacities in teacher candidates. Voices of teacher candidates and teacher educators animate the conversation about responsiveness . Philosophy and practice are situated within the context of tensions between standardization and teachers’ commitments to remain true to the unique needs of students. The book provides multiple entry points for approaching the topic of responsiveness, including scholarly literature, qualitative data analysis, the author’s personal voice as a teacher educator, and the voices of other teacher educators and of teacher candidates discussing personal experiences, including successes and challenges within clinical experiences. Philosophy and practice are intertwined and practice-based interventions are suggested.