The Institute for Urban Education (IUE) is sharing the urban focus of 51猎奇鈥檚 School of Education with student teachers from all over the University of Wisconsin system.
WATCH: Go inside MPS classrooms as student teachers develop leadership skills and most importantly, a sense of self. (View full size on )
The IUE, now housed at 51猎奇 on the fifth floor of Enderis Hall, gives student teachers from all UW System Schools and Colleges of Education the opportunity to experience teaching in urban schools.
鈥淚 was looking for something that was a little more challenging with more diversity,鈥� says Amber Eide, who came from UW-La Crosse to student teach at Townsend School for the fall semester. 鈥淓very assignment I had (before) was much the same, except for the grade level.鈥�
The focus of the IUE program is to give student teachers the opportunity to experience and understand urban education and its diversity. Under the leadership of new director Tracey Nix, the Institute also plans to eventually provide professional development opportunities for those interested in urban education and increase and improve collaborative research efforts on urban education among UW System schools.
The Institute鈥檚 first professional development opportunity on Culturally Responsive Teaching.
The move of the Institute to Milwaukee from Madison, which took place over the summer of 2013, makes sense, says Linda Post, associate professor in 51猎奇鈥檚 School of Education who has long been a liaison for 51猎奇, MPS and the System’s IUE. That’s because the mission of preparing teachers for urban schools guides SOE’s teacher preparation programs, and that approach is infused in all of its methods and content courses.
The potential teachers are being placed in MPS, according to Sandra Ivers, the associate director. She notes the program has been growing rapidly, from 29 students last year to the 39 students enrolled for fall semester of 2014.
Many of the students in the program came from predominately white suburban communities, but said they felt their own universities and the IUE programs prepared them for teaching in an urban setting. They also met regularly with each other and the IUE leaders during the semester to compare experiences and share ideas.
鈥淚 felt the (IUE) seminars really benefitted me,鈥� says Chelsea Schmidt of UW-La Crosse. 鈥淚 felt prepared.鈥�
Still, they found some surprises.
One was the lack of resources. 鈥淚 was really surprised by the lack of art and music in school. One school I was at hadn鈥檛 had a gym teacher for five years,鈥� says Kassandra Braun of UW-Eau Claire. 鈥淭hey had a library, but hadn鈥檛 had a librarian for a long time.鈥�
Another surprise was the lack of diversity of the students in MPS, which has become a 鈥渕ajority minority鈥� school system.
鈥淚 wanted diversity, but the only diversity is among the teachers,鈥� noted Julia Herrmann of UW-Madison, wryly.
The students did find cultural differences that were sometimes challenging. Brian Jurchisin from UW-River Falls, who student taught at Bradley Tech, occasionally had difficulty when he didn鈥檛 seem to be able to communicate about some issues with African American students.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure whether it was culturally based, or because I was white or just because I wasn鈥檛 from Milwaukee.鈥澛� However, he adds, 鈥渋t鈥檚 surprising how well humor can play a role.聽 I told a stupid math joke and got an unexpected laugh. I think they didn鈥檛 think they could have fun in math class.鈥�
The student teachers agreed they tried to approach their classrooms without preconceived ideas about what an urban classroom or community was like, and often found media stereotypes were not true.
鈥淭here are some fantastic teachers who are doing a great job,鈥� says Braun.
鈥淚 was a little scared the students would be disrespectful, but I鈥檓 at a really good school,鈥� notes Schmidt.
Herrmann found that, contrary to some media stories, the parents of her students were very supportive and involved.
All those student teachers interviewed said they felt their experiences helped them broaden their repertoire of teaching skills. They also shared in the joy of working with their cooperating teachers to help their students.
鈥淭he students in the special education program have been put down so much by society in general,鈥� says Braun.聽 鈥淛ust to help them find some success and gain confidence in themselves was so meaningful.鈥�
