Teacher Training and Preparation

In the United States, the following types of entities provide teacher training and preparation for elementary and secondary teachers: colleges, universities, school districts, state agencies, and private organizations. Teacher training and preparation usually consists of a combination of university-level content courses, university-level methods courses, and student teaching placements. In traditional university-based preparation programs, future teachers typically complete content courses, methods courses, and student teaching placements prior to working as full-time teachers of record. In alternative teacher licensure programs, future teachers usually complete content courses, but little or no coursework in methods or student teaching prior to working as full-time teachers; after they begin teaching full-time, they typically complete methods courses. This entry provides an overview of the structure and organization of teacher training and preparation ...