TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM: COMMON EXIT SURVEY RESULTS FOR IB/M
May 2011
The Common Exit Survey was administered to graduating students enrolled in the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education School’s
Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teacher Education (IB/M) Program in April of 2011. This report presents survey results taken by 92 teacher education
candidates of whom 72 (78.3%) are female. This incorporates elementary education (45.8%), English/Language Arts (12.1%), Special Education
(12.1%), Social Studies (10.8%), and other fields. The following results were obtained.






28.9% strived for a dual degree.
92.5% are planning on being teachers for 10 or more years.
4 candidates already have teaching positions for 2011-2012.
“Having a positive personal relationship with your students” was indicated as the #1 priority.
The “ability to establish rapport with students” was ranked the strongest quality of the candidates.
According to quantitative and qualitative responses, candidates are very satisfied with the program but desire more emphasis on technology,
ELL, special education, gifted and talented, assessment, and clinical placements.
1
What field are you in? *
Option
Agricultural Education
Biology
Earth Science
Elementary Education
English/Language Arts
General Science
Mathematics
Music
Social Studies/History
Special Education
Agricultural Education
Total:
2
Count
1
4
1
38
10
1
6
3
9
10
1
83
Percent
1.2
4.8
1.2
45.8
12.0
1.2
7.2
3.6
10.8
12.0
1.2
100.0
If yes, please re-select your subject area.
Agricultural Education
Biology
Elementary Education
English/Language Arts
General Science
Mathematics
Music
Social Studies/History
Special Education
Total:
3
Count
1
3
3
8
1
3
3
4
1
27
Percent
3.7
11.1
11.1
29.6
3.7
11.1
11.1
14.8
3.7
100.0
4
First, rate your satisfaction with each of the following areas of your Neag teacher preparation program. Second, rate how important you feel each area is in
preparing teachers. (81 responses)
Satisfaction
Very
Dissatisfied
The content and/or
area specialty
1
(1.23%)
Classroom
management skills
3
(3.70%)
Integrating technology
into classroom
instruction
5
Working effectively
with parents
Formative classroom
Slightly
Dissatisfied
3
(3.70%)
Neutral
5
Importance
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Not at all
Important
Slightly
Important
Somewhat
Important
Important
Very Important
(6.17%)
47 (58.02%)
25 (30.86%)
0 (0.00%)
4
(4.94%)
5
(6.17%)
24 (29.63%)
47
(58.02%)
16 (19.75%)
13 (16.05%)
36 (44.44%)
13 (16.05%)
0 (0.00%)
1
(1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
13 (16.05%)
66
(81.48%)
(6.17%)
18 (22.22%)
19 (23.46%)
26 (32.10%)
11 (13.58%)
1 (1.23%)
1
(1.23%)
6
(7.41%)
28 (34.57%)
41
(50.62%)
6
(7.41%)
27 (33.33%)
24 (29.63%)
19 (23.46%)
(6.17%)
1 (1.23%)
1
(1.23%)
7
(8.64%)
19 (23.46%)
52
(64.20%)
4
(4.94%)
12 (14.81%)
15 (18.52%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
5
(6.17%)
26 (32.10%)
48 (59.26%)
6
(7.41%)
44 (54.32%)
5
5
assessment skills
Standardized
assessment skills (e.g.,
CAPT, CMT, normreferenced tests)
6
(7.41%)
13 (16.05%)
22 (27.16%)
31 (38.27%)
9 (11.11%)
1 (1.23%)
5
(6.17%)
Teaching English
language learners
16
(19.75%)
30 (37.04%)
15 (18.52%)
16 (19.75%)
3
(3.70%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
1
Teaching special
education students
10 (12.35%)
25 (30.86%)
19 (23.46%)
16 (19.75%)
11 (13.58%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
Teaching students who
are both in special
education and English
language learners
29 (35.80%)
23 (28.40%)
19 (23.46%)
36 (44.44%)
7
14 (17.28%)
26 (32.10%)
34
(41.98%)
(1.23%)
18 (22.22%)
60
(74.07%)
1
(1.23%)
19 (23.46%)
58
(71.60%)
(62.96%)
(8.64%)
3
(3.70%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
3
(3.70%)
25 (30.86%)
51
14 (17.28%)
21 (25.93%)
3
(3.70%)
1 (1.23%)
1
(1.23%)
7
(8.64%)
31 (38.27%)
40 (49.38%)
Teaching gifted and
talented students
7
(8.64%)
Educating students
from diverse
socioeconomic
backgrounds
2
(2.47%)
7
(8.64%)
12 (14.81%)
42 (51.85%)
18 (22.22%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
1
(1.23%)
21 (25.93%)
57
(70.37%)
Understanding people
from other racial
and/or ethnic
backgrounds
0
(0.00%)
5
(6.17%)
9 (11.11%)
37 (45.68%)
29 (35.80%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
1
(1.23%)
19 (23.46%)
59
(72.84%)
Encouraging
interaction with
students from
different backgrounds
2
(2.47%)
5
(6.17%)
13 (16.05%)
38 (46.91%)
23 (28.40%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
5
(6.17%)
17 (20.99%)
57
(70.37%)
Educating students
from diverse cultural
backgrounds
1
(1.23%)
5
(6.17%)
9 (11.11%)
40 (49.38%)
26 (32.10%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
20 (24.69%) 58
(71.60%)
The difficulty level of
the program
0
(0.00%)
3
(3.70%)
14 (17.28%)
36 (44.44%)
26 (32.10%)
1 (1.23%)
4
(4.94%)
Challenging students
to meet their fullest
potential
0
(0.00%)
3
(3.70%)
13 (16.05%)
46 (56.79%)
19 (23.46%)
1 (1.23%)
1
(1.23%)
6
1
(1.23%)
18 (22.22%)
5
(6.17%)
27
(33.33%)
27
(33.33%)
13
(16.05%)
60
(74.07%)
The degree of
preparation for
working in the
teaching profession
0
(0.00%)
2
(2.47%)
8
(9.88%)
45 (55.56%)
26 (32.10%)
1 (1.23%)
0
(0.00%)
1
(1.23%)
12
(14.81%)
64
(79.01%)
First, how satisfied are you with how well your Neag teacher preparation program prepared you to do the following? Second, rate how important you feel
each of the following is in preparing teachers. (81 Responses)
Satisfaction
Very
Dissatisfied
Slightly
Dissatisfied
Neutral
Importance
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Not at all
Important
Slightly
Important
Somewhat
Important
Important
Very
Important
Understand how
students learn
0
(0.00%)
2
(2.50%)
6
(7.50%)
40
(50.00%)
31
(38.75%)
0
(0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
2
(2.50%)
18
(22.50%)
58
(72.50%)
Use different
pedagogical
approaches
1
(1.25%)
3
(3.75%)
6
(7.50%)
40
(50.00%)
29
(36.25%)
0
(0.00%)
1
(1.25%)
4
(5.00%)
18
(22.50%)
55
(68.75%)
Implement
Connecticut’s
Common Core of
Teaching
6
(7.50%)
12
(26.25%)
28
(35.00%)
12
(15.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
9
(11.25%)
28
(35.00%)
41
(51.25%)
Handle the
paperwork
associated with
your job
7
(8.75%)
16 (20.0%)
23
(28.75%)
25
(31.25%)
8
(10.00%)
0
(0.00%)
5
(6.25%)
13
(36.25%) 32
(40.00%)
Manage time
throughout the
school day
2
(2.50%)
8
(10.00%)
18
(22.50%)
34
(42.50%)
17
(21.25%)
0
(0.00%)
2
(2.50%)
Collaborate with
other adults
1
(1.25%)
2
(2.50%)
11
(13.75%)
23
(28.75%)
42
(52.50%)
0
(0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
Adapt to changes in
content and/or
resources
0
(0.00%)
1
(1.25%)
16
(20.00%)
36
(45.00%)
26
(32.50%)
0
(0.00%)
1
Deal with changes in
the classroom or
0
(0.00%)
6
(7.50%)
17
(21.25%)
38
(47.50%)
18
(22.50%)
0
(0.00%)
0
(15.0%)) 21
7
9
(16.25%) 29
(11.25%)
24
(30.00%)
44
(55.00%)
4
(5.00%)
22
(27.50%)
53
(66.25%)
(1.25%)
6
(7.50%)
28
(35.00%)
44
(55.00%)
(0.00%)
6
(7.50%)
28
(35.00%)
45
(56.25%)
school
Read researchbased
developments
1
(1.25%)
3
(3.75%)
12
(15.00%)
33
(41.25%)
30
(37.50%)
0
(0.00%)
9
(11.25%)
12
(15.00%) 24
(30.00%)
34
Please rank the following in terms of importance as an educator (1=most important; 3=least important)
(81 responses)
1
2
3
Having a positive personal relationship with your students
67 (54.47%)
26 (21.14%)
30 (24.39%)
Helping your students learn the required content
18 (14.63%)
31 (25.20%)
74 (60.16%)
Motivating your students to be engaged in school
38 (30.89%)
66 (53.66%)
19 (15.45%)
Sometimes students get similar messages from their university faculty and their clinical placement regarding the best ways to teach students.
Other times these messages are different. Please indicate the response that best describes how similar the messages were that you received in
your teacher preparation program and clinical placement by responding to the following items. (121 Responses)
Not at all
Similar
Moderately
Dissimilar
Slightly
Dissimilar
Slightly
Similar
Moderately
Similar
Very Similar No Opinion
Curriculum to cover
0 (0.00%)
4
(5.00%)
3
(3.75%)
12 (15.00%)
32 (40.00%)
25 (31.25%)
4 (5.00%)
Classroom management
issues
0 (0.00%)
4
(5.00%)
7
(8.75%)
13 (16.25%)
34 (42.50%)
21 (26.25%)
1 (1.25%)
Planning lessons
0 (0.00%)
5
(6.25%)
12 (15.00%)
13 (16.25%)
28 (35.00%)
21 (26.25%)
1 (1.25%)
Individualizing instruction
for students
0 (0.00%)
2
(2.50%)
5
(6.25%)
13 (16.25%)
35 (43.75%)
23 (28.75%)
2 (2.50%)
Motivating students
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
3
(3.75%)
10 (12.50%)
33 (41.25%)
32 (40.00%)
2 (2.50%)
8
(42.50%)
How confident are you in your ability regarding the following uses of educational technology? (80 Responses)
Not at all Moderately
Slightly
Confident Unconfident Unconfident
Slightly
Confident
Moderately
Confident
Very
Confident
No
Opinion
Providing instructions on how to use educational
1 (1.25%)
technology
3 (3.75%) 10 (12.50%) 17 (21.25%) 33 (41.25%) 14 (17.50%) 2 (2.50%)
Using computers effectively in your classroom
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
Using different types of educational technology
0 (0.00%)
4 (5.00%) 11 (13.75%) 21 (26.25%) 16 (20.00%) 26 (32.50%) 2 (2.50%)
Integrating educational technology into your
lessons
0 (0.00%)
2 (2.50%)
8 (10.00%) 16 (20.00%) 27 (33.75%) 25 (31.25%) 2 (2.50%)
Having students better learn to use technology
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
8 (10.00%) 20 (25.00%) 28 (35.00%) 22 (27.50%) 2 (2.50%)
1 (1.25%) 16 (20.00%) 27 (33.75%) 33 (41.25%) 2 (2.50%)
How confident are you in your ability to do the following? (80 Responses)
Not At All Moderately
Slightly
Confident Unconfident Unconfident
Slightly
Confident
Moderately
Confident
Very
Confident
No
Opinion
Provide stimulating lessons for students
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
Motivate students to participate in academic
tasks
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%) 11 (13.75%) 41 (51.25%) 26 (32.50%) 1 (1.25%)
Change the way to present material to
accommodate the learning needs of all students
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
3 (3.75%)
Create learning experiences that are meaningful
to students
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%) 11 (13.75%) 38 (47.50%) 29 (36.25%) 1 (1.25%)
Know what procedures to follow if you believe a
student has a disability
1 (1.25%)
3 (3.75%) 19 (23.75%) 23 (28.75%) 17 (21.25%) 15 (18.75%) 2 (2.50%)
Implement a variety of teaching strategies to
0 (0.00%) 13 (16.25%) 21 (26.25%) 23 (28.75%) 14 (17.50%)
9
7 (8.75%) 34 (42.50%) 38 (47.50%) 1 (1.25%)
8 (10.00%) 44 (55.00%) 23 (28.75%) 1 (1.25%)
7 (8.75%) 2 (2.50%)
reach students who are not native English
speakers
Teach even the most challenging students
0 (0.00%)
4 (5.00%) 18 (22.50%) 21 (26.25%) 23 (28.75%) 13 (16.25%) 1 (1.25%)
Effectively address classroom management
issues
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
7 (8.75%) 18 (22.50%) 37 (46.25%) 16 (20.00%) 1 (1.25%)
Get along well with students who struggle with
behavioral issues in school
0 (0.00%)
2 (2.50%)
6 (7.50%) 10 (12.50%) 37 (46.25%) 24 (30.00%) 1 (1.25%)
Facilitate learning for all of your students
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
1 (1.25%)
Adapt curriculum to accommodate individual
differences
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
3 (3.75%) 14 (17.50%) 41 (51.25%) 21 (26.25%) 1 (1.25%)
Develop a strong rapport with your students
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
Teach students with different cultural
backgrounds from your own
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
4 (5.00%)
6 (7.50%) 28 (35.00%) 40 (50.00%) 2 (2.50%)
Integrate educational technology into your
lessons
0 (0.00%)
3 (3.75%)
5 (6.25%) 13 (16.25%) 23 (28.75%) 34 (42.50%) 1 (1.25%)
Effectively teach special education students
0 (0.00%)
5 (6.25%)
9 (11.25%) 29 (36.25%) 22 (27.50%) 13 (16.25%) 2 (2.50%)
Respect cultural backgrounds different from your
0 (0.00%)
own
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
Use effective classroom assessment strategies
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
5 (6.25%) 19 (23.75%) 39 (48.75%) 16 (20.00%) 1 (1.25%)
Use formalized assessment (i.e., CMT, CAPT,
norm-referenced) results
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
9 (11.25%) 22 (27.50%) 36 (45.00%) 10 (12.50%) 2 (2.50%)
Develop a strong rapport with parents of your
students
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
4 (5.00%)
Use computers effectively in the classroom
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
2 (2.50%) 12 (15.00%) 31 (38.75%) 32 (40.00%) 2 (2.50%)
Help your students better learn to use
technology
0 (0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
7 (8.75%) 13 (16.25%) 37 (46.25%) 21 (26.25%) 2 (2.50%)
10
8 (10.00%) 38 (47.50%) 31 (38.75%) 1 (1.25%)
8 (10.00%) 68 (85.00%) 3 (3.75%)
3 (3.75%) 16 (20.00%) 58 (72.50%) 2 (2.50%)
8 (10.00%) 32 (40.00%) 35 (43.75%) 1 (1.25%)
Know all the content that you will be required to
teach to your students
0 (0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
3 (3.75%) 15 (18.75%) 29 (36.25%) 28 (35.00%) 4 (5.00%)
How confident are you in your ability to do the following? (80 Responses)
Not at all
Confident
Moderately
Unconfident
Slightly
Unconfident
Slightly
Confident
Moderately
Confident
Very
Confident
No Opinion
Physically prepare space and materials
needed to deliver instruction
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
3 (3.75%)
19 (23.75%)
57 (71.25%)
1
(1.25%)
Design lesson plans to provide all
learners access to the general
curriculum
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
4 (5.00%)
39 (48.75%)
36 (45.00%)
1
(1.25%)
Modify lesson plans to address needs
of students with disabilities
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
3 (3.75%)
13 (16.25%)
40 (50.00%)
22 (27.50%)
1
(1.25%)
Maintain a structured learning
environment
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
6 (7.50%)
38 (47.50%)
35 (43.75%)
1
(1.25%)
Use a small number of positively
stated expectations
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
3 (3.75%)
20 (25.00%)
56 (70.00%)
1
(1.25%)
Reinforce appropriate behavior
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
3 (3.75%)
19 (23.75%)
57 (71.25%)
1
(1.25%)
Respond to inappropriate behavior
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
2 (2.50%)
9 (11.25%)
32 (40.00%)
36 (45.00%)
1
(1.25%)
Implement individualized behavior
strategies for students with disabilities
0 (0.00%)
2
(2.50%)
9 (11.25%)
17 (21.25%)
27 (33.75%)
24 (30.00%)
1
(1.25%)
Introduce lesson content
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
2 (2.50%)
28 (35.00%)
49 (61.25%)
1
(1.25%)
Maximize student engagement
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
7 (8.75%)
41 (51.25%)
31 (38.75%)
1
(1.25%)
Provide performance-based feedback
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
11 (13.75%)
27 (33.75%)
41 (51.25%)
1
(1.25%)
11
Review lesson content at the end of
instruction
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
5 (6.25%)
27 (33.75%)
47 (58.75%)
1
(1.25%)
Teach lesson content relevant to
student population
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
7 (8.75%)
30 (37.50%)
40 (50.00%)
1
(1.25%)
Assess student ability and/or
knowledge prior to instruction
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
7 (8.75%)
36 (45.00%)
35 (43.75%)
1
(1.25%)
Assess student outcomes related to
IEP during instruction
1 (1.25%)
1
(1.25%)
10 (12.50%)
28 (35.00%)
24 (30.00%)
15 (18.75%)
1
(1.25%)
Assess student response to instruction
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
12 (15.00%)
36 (45.00%)
29 (36.25%)
1
(1.25%)
Uphold high standards of competence
in the practice of the profession
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
2 (2.50%)
20 (25.00%)
57 (71.25%)
1
(1.25%)
Uphold high standards of integrity in
the practice of the profession
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
2 (2.50%)
15 (18.75%)
60 (75.00%)
1
(1.25%)
Use evidence to guide
exercise/exercising sound judgment in
the practice of the profession
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
4 (5.00%)
35 (43.75%)
40 (50.00%)
1
(1.25%)
Engage in professional activities
related to continuous learning and
advocacy
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
0 (0.00%)
5 (6.25%)
19 (23.75%)
54 (67.50%)
2
(2.50%)
Collaborate respectfully with all
stakeholders
0 (0.00%)
0
(0.00%)
1 (1.25%)
2 (2.50%)
12 (15.00%)
64 (80.00%)
1
(1.25%)
What aspect of your preparation at UConn do you think will be most valuable to your career as a teacher? (79 Responses)
The aspect of preparation at UConn that will be most valuable to me are my student teaching and internship experiences where I learned
what it is like to begin the year with students and almost end the year with students. It was great to see the progress students make from
beginning to end.
The most valuable preparation was learning how to embrace diversity and develop rapport with each of my students.
12
Student teaching and internship- This is where I gained the practical knowledge that I need to be a good teacher.
I think I have been prepared to be a lifelong learner. It's impossible to teach everything I need to be a successful teacher, but I have been given
tools to learn as I go.
I think the Methods classes that were taken before student teaching were the most valuable.
Strategies from master's level elective classes and student teaching.
Behavior management, which I received through the PBIS specialization, and my internship and student teaching placement.
Clinical Placements during the senior and masters year
I think that the most valuable lessons I learned involved relating to my students and developing rapport beyond the curriculum in my class. I
definitely think that Neag taught me to be more human.
Classroom management, how to use PBS in the classroom, how to deal with high incidence disabilities, how to assess, how to prepare lesson,
how to build good rapport with students
Learning how to teach students multicultural and how to differentiate
The work I have done in my internship and the relationship I have with my seminar instructor.
content knowledge and working with others
The clinical placements were most helpful to me. Everything we learn in class is useful information, but does not fully sink in until we get a
chance to put strategies into practice.
I think the variety of experiences through my clinic placements were most valuable. The people I met, the advice I was given, the students I
worked with in these placements helped to shape my ideas on education
The most valuable aspect of the teacher preparation program was the clinical experiences. Going into classrooms and having hands on
experience has prepared me to be a classroom teacher. Also, the Honors program was a great experience.
building rapport with students and upholding the highest level of professionalism
Assessment courses
The content courses on reading and writing instruction. These courses gave us tools and cultivated philosophy, not strictly one or the other.
Experience in various types of learning environments with different learning objectives in each.
1) My student teaching experience because I learn best through hands-on experiential learning. 2) London study abroad program: our classes
were the best classes I have taken at UCONN. I learned the most about myself as a person and how to look through multicultural lenses in
education and life.
Participating in the London program.
Student teaching is the most valuable aspect of the Neag teacher prep program. I think my differentiation class was also very helpful. I think
this class should be mandatory.
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Student teaching, my methods classes in English/LA Ed., and the London program.
Knowing different ways to cast a lesson so that they are engaging and meet the needs of various learners
The differentiation class that is an elective in the graduate year has been extremely valuable. This class should be mandatory for all students.
Before this class I knew what differentiation was and what I was expected to do, but I had no idea how, I didn't know what methods there
were to effectively differentiate. I feel much better about my ability to reach all students now than I did before I took the class.
My graduate year was by far the most rewarding and valuable to my career as a teacher. The classes I elected to take, that is not required but
should be such as, differentiation across the curriculum and teaching children’s literature, along with the required multicultural education,
was extremely informative and practical to the teaching profession. Also my year at internship taught me more than I could have ever learned
in the classroom.
My experiences in my student teaching and internship have been most valuable to my career as a teacher.
Student teaching
Going to London was the most valuable aspect of my preparation. Got to see teaching in a different perspective--global perspective. Great
classes and teachers, learned a lot and able to now compare education systems.
Semester abroad in London, UK
I believe student teaching in and urban setting has provided me with valuable skills that I will be able to transfer to my future teaching. Also
London program provided me with so many valuable skills that will make me a better professional.
The opportunity to teach abroad in London, UK.
I think learning about all the different kinds of technologies we can incorporate into our teaching and all the authentic literature we learned
about that can be applied when we're in the field.
Multicultural perspective. The semester in London was responsible for that feeling.
The clinic placements that were related to my major, especially student teaching.
Methods class in the Fall of 2009.
The student teaching experience is by far where I learned the most!
UConn prepared me to thoroughly plan lessons, which will be very valuable to my career. Also, I learned a lot about the integration of
technology within a classroom.
Working with students from a variety of backgrounds
Collaboration is an invaluable aspect of my career at UConn. Learning how to collaborate with professors and faculty, as well as students
within my cohort. This is a skill I know will help me throughout my career as I learn to become a more effective instructor.
My time spent in clinic placements and student teaching (experience in the field).
Working with diverse populations.
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Master's year because I was able to take a variety of different courses that changed my views on education. I am now more prepared to teach
to a number of different learners in the classroom. I took classes that discussed how to work with students who have different cultural
backgrounds, racial backgrounds, and English Language Learners.
The student teaching experience was most valuable to me. Being placed in an urban district really allowed me to dive in and figure things out
on my own.
The variety of classes that were offered
I personally found my Master's internship to be most valuable; it provided me with many varied experiences.
My methods classes with my academic advisor will be the most valuable.
The student teaching semester provided a wonderful opportunity to put into practice the skills of differentiating instruction and assessment,
effectively managing a classroom, and effectively conveying content material that we had practiced during our coursework at UCONN - a great
experience.
I think that my experience in the classroom discussing, and then time in the field implementing, the strong relationship with students is the
most valuable. Also figuring out how to scaffold for all students.
Methods courses
My urban clinic placement was the most valuable aspect of my teacher preparation. Through this experience I learned effective classroom
management skills as well as really world application of things we have learned in class.
Student teaching experience, Master's Year Courses, Content area courses
My student teaching experience at XXX High School because my cooperating teacher was amazing. Also, being able to observe the Glastonbury
High School teachers in their classrooms as a part of my inquiry project.
I think that having both an urban and suburban placement (in student teaching and then in internship) was extremely valuable. I was able to
see two different school settings and better understand the inequities along with the differences in student populations and staff perceptions
through these experiences.
I feel that I am really prepared to create a strong classroom community that fosters student motivation and relationship building.
My student teaching experience and Master's year have been most valuable. All of my Master's year courses have been so beneficial and
useful.
I think that student teaching and the fifth year internship are the absolute most important part of the teacher preparation program. The
coursework and classes helped me to provide the theory and framework surrounding teaching, but my confidence stems from my experiences
in the classroom during my student teaching and fifth year internship.
I think that the student teaching and internship placements tied with the classes offered in the Masters year were most valuable.
Student teaching
Student teaching with a great classroom teacher.
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My student teaching, internship placement and the class that I took during my Masters year will be most helpful to me during my career.
Student teaching was the most helpful experience because I got to actually see how a school was run and what problems worked and didn't
work in classes.
I think the most valuable preparation was the exposure to the different classroom settings during our clinic placements. We were able to see
different teaching styles and a very diverse population of students.
in-discipline clinic placements and differentiation graduate course
Being able to spend such a great deal of time in schools, and working with students. I'm a true believer in learning by doing, and have found
that the strength of my knowledge base has come from my time in classrooms. Therefore, I believe the amount of clinic hours required is a
great asset to the program and the development of educators.
Student Teaching and Internship
Student teaching experiences
Assessment in special education.
The variety of clinical experiences I was provided as they allowed me to understand the differences between schools based on their
demographics. Also, I truly enjoyed the seminar courses. They were all meaningful and always included thought out discussions on meaningful
topics related to the schools we were placed in.
Student teaching, internship
Assessment procedures and the use of data for educational decision making
I think having been in schools for a full three years was a valuable experience and allowed me to experience many different things.
I think that the student teaching semester was the most valuable to allow a student access to a real classroom and the challenges and learning
experiences that a placement like that provides. With that being said, it would be even more beneficial to allow students in Special Education
to either be in the same classroom all year long like most of the elementary placements in order to truly establish a rapport ahead of time with
their students, or place Special Education majors in all Special Education placements in order for them to see the wide range of placements
that are possible.
Learning about PBIS and multicultural education (sheltered instruction, Critical Pedagogy and multicultural ed.)
My knowledge of assessment and classroom behavior management.
Student teaching
Student teaching and internship experience, because you get to apply what you're learning in college courses to real classrooms.
Content area knowledge in music given the dual degree program.
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What aspect of your preparation as a teacher is you most concerned that you did not get from UConn?
(78 Responses)
I am most concerned that I was not taught how to effectively teach special education and ELL students. With inclusion so evident in
classrooms, I feel as though it is important for all of us to have experience in teaching those students.
The aspect of my preparation that I'm most concerned about is implementing instruction for students with special needs and ELLs.
I'm concerned that I didn't get enough preparation for teaching ELLs or integrating technology into the classroom.
I'm most concerned about my preparation to work with students with exceptionalities. I'm not confident in my abilities to work with ELLs,
students with disabilities, or gifted students.
I feel that while cultural diversity was addressed in the fifth year, teaching ELL was not sufficiently addressed.
Teaching ELL students
Working with students who are English Language Learners, and the "behind the scene" realities in a teacher's day
the ability to address students with special needs, how to work effectively with parents
I'm concerned about reaching all learners, especially Special Ed ones.
How to teach low incidence disabilities
how to use standardized testing data to assess students' readiness levels
How to work with difficult parents, practical classroom management strategies at the secondary level
working with students with special needs and how to adapt content and instruction to fit those needs
I do not feel as confident as I should teaching ELL students or integrating technology into the classroom.
I am concerned that I did not receive proper training on classroom management techniques other than counting for bad behavior. I would like
to see more interactive classroom experience or examples on how to deal with these situations. In addition, I was never placed in a clinic
placement that was within my content area until student teaching year. It would have been ideal to work with students in a middle school
environment which is where I want to teach.
I never had a Special Education placement, which was very unfortunate as that is something that would have been helpful during student
teaching. I had to seek out an experience in Special Education during the summer, and fortunately I was able to get that experience on my
own. I also think that the course that was offered senior year in Special Ed was very ineffective. That class did not even brush the surface of all
the things a teacher needs to know in order to be effective with students who have disabilities. For me that was one of the most disappointing
aspects of this program.
Teaching ELL and special education students (both identified and non identified) that are mainstreamed in my classroom. Also, there is not a
lot of preparation for collaborating with other teachers, parents, etc. One class should talk about effective ways to communicate with parents
and get parents more involved in the classroom. I do not feel at all prepared for assessing my students either, the assessment class that we
took was a very broad overview of strategies and did not prepare me to actually assess my students’ progress.
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- enough instruction in core curriculum areas, methods course were very short and limited for Special Education
Effective strategies and resources to instruct students with English as a second language, and to fully work within the parameters of inclusion
in a mainstream classroom.
I feel unprepared to teach students that are ELL.
I am still concerned about teaching English Language Learners in my classroom. We haven't had any classes that really address ELL students in
the classroom so I'm not aware of any resources or strategies to use with them except for through my own research.
Ways to assess students in the classroom. I have left with a general sense of how to assess students and believe that I do a good job at it, but
most of this I learned from my student teaching placement. Our assessment course focused on standardized testing and how to read different
types of assessments and how to tell if a test has validity and reliability. I was looking more for a class to give strategies and allow us to
practice assessing work and student progress in an elementary setting.
I don't think that I got enough preparation on how to work with students with special educational needs and english language learners.
How to best teach ELL students and how to differentiate for all ability levels (practical ideas for lessons, not just vague notions).
Special Ed instruction and ELL
ELL students. There needs to be more direct instruction on how to effectively teach these students.
I am concerned about educating special education students and students who are English Language Learners. I feel I did not learn enough, if
anything, about these populations, and they are crucial to the teaching profession.
I feel that the most important things that I need to know going into this profession I learned solely from my placements. I don't feel that I
learned anything that will truly help me professionally in my classrooms- this is not to say that important material was not covered in my
classes, but it did not stick with me and I did not really understand the information until I was in a school placement. The areas I am really
concerned with are Special Education and ELLs.
I am very confident in the grade level that I students taught in, however I am much less confident in older grades that I did not student teach
in. They did not provide me with confidence in a range of grades.
Wish there was a way that elementary ed majors could also take special education classes--reality is that many of our future students will be
students with special needs. Also, preparation for ELL students and dealing with parents in the proper manner.
Any of the grad level coursework. Leadership/teaching for social justice.
ELL/Special Needs teaching in elementary school
How to teach English language learners
We did not get detailed instruction in how to manage a class--and were taught as if the only context in which we will be teaching will be that
with students who always have a desire to learn, and of a school that has a flexible curriculum.
Not many strategies for teaching ELL students
Teaching students with special educational needs and English language learners.
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Teaching to secondary language learners.
We did not receive much instruction in assessment, and what we did get was very poor. Also I feel that we needed to spend more time in the
classroom/schools because that’s where the real learning takes place.
I am most concerned about teaching ELL students, as I did not get as much instruction in differentiation as I would have liked.
Classroom Management at the secondary level
In terms of preparation, I feel that much of my authentic learning experiences and deep reflection/questioning occurred more frequently
following my student teaching. I would feel more prepared and confident if I was able to do my student teaching and then follow with classes
focusing on what I felt lacked in my own instruction, etc.
Teaching special education students or students with disabilities.
Teaching ELLs.
Classroom management skills. I think that this is a difficult course to teach because every classroom is different, but I still leave feeling a little
uneasy about how my first classroom will be.
More preparation in subject content would have been helpful. As a special ed major we had a math content class and learned a lot about
reading, but in terms of science or social studies we didn't have any instruction in how to teach that content.
I did not get enough multicultural education - it should be offered before your Master's year and this education should continue throughout
the program
I felt like an only a semester of student teaching was not enough.
-Differentiating material in class to meet the instructional needs for all students -Teaching ELLs, students that are gifted/talented, and students
that have disabilities
I also less than confidant of my skills at meeting the needs of Bilingual students and English Language Learners. Additionally, I do not feel that I
have had adequate exposure to students with disabilities or unique learning needs.
More of the IEP and behavioral supports. I felt that the class that we took on positive behavior supports was geared more toward small
children and not high school students.
Behavior management-the behavior management class was no effective for secondary educators
Assessment was only covered in one short class and did not provide me with the preparation truly needed.
I think on paper the course offerings are comprehensive, but the quality of certain classes detracted from their ability to meet their respective
objectives.
Effectively teaching ELL students and more experience observing high school classrooms.
I think that we should all receive more instruction on teaching ELL students.
Neag did not do a very good job of preparing us to work with students with different learning needs (special education students or ELL
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students) the only information I received about these types of students was through the electives that I chose. Differentiation was a great class
but Working with special needs students was a waste of time because the teacher was unprepared. I also feel unconfident in my ability to
administer elementary assessments like the DRA, Dibbles etc.
I wish I had been able to go into more elementary classrooms before students teacher to see a variety of teaching styles rather than just one.
I am disappointed that I have minimal urban experience. My very first placement Junior year was in Windham, and this was considered my
urban placement. However, I would have felt more prepared to enter the job search having at least one of my two classroom experiences in an
urban environment (either student teaching or the fifth year internship).
I would have liked stronger classes and preparation in the areas of Special education, ELL instruction, assessment, and incorporating
technology.
The lack of experience in the lower elementary grades (1-3)
I am going to be certified in grades K-6, but Neag never placed me in a K, 1, 2, or 6th grade classroom. Yet I spent a semester each in 7th and
9th grade...how does that make sense?
I did not get preparation in teaching ELL students while in the education program. I feel that this will hinder me in my career.
I don't think that I got a lot of preparation to teach ELL students. I think there could have been more course work teaching us about ELL
students and how to reach them. I had some exposure during student teaching but if I did not have ELL students in my class during that time I
would have had very limited exposure at all.
working with ELL students
I am mostly concerned with my ability to work with ELL students. Although I have some knowledge base on the topic, I'm not sure that it is
enough to truly provide effective instruction to that population.
How to effectively teach ELLs. How to start the first day/weeks of YOUR class!
ELL learners....Classroom management for HIGH SCHOOL students with and WITHOUT disabilities...This program only seems to focus on
elementary classroom management
More classroom behavior strategies.
How to educate and work in a multicultural classroom.
Teaching ELL and special education students.
Writing IEPs, teaching English Language Learners, teaching students with severe disabilities
I wish I had spent more time in English classrooms. Spending a semester in an elementary technology classroom doesn't really benefit me in
the long run.
I think that the program lacks the necessary education of ELL students and students of culturally diverse backgrounds until you get to the
Master's year. In the Master's year was when I took the Multicultural class, which truly gave me insight into the Hispanic population and really
made me think about the students that I was working with in Windham. Prior classes had talked about the fact that there was a difference, but
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no ways of addressing these differences or ways to deal with them or embrace them.
Working with and developing lesson plans for students with disabilities and students learning English. In addition we did not have a chance to
take all of the classes that would make us stronger in this area. We should have been able to take these classes in our senior year so that we
could implement these strategies during student teaching. During Exceptionality and Assessment I felt that the classes were not applicable to
everyone and could have been more practical.
Teaching students in self-contained classrooms. Teaching ELL students.
Special Education
Establishing rapport with parents and ELL.
Classroom management in my content area (music)
If UConn were to make improvements to the teacher preparation program, what would be the most important thing for them to improve? Why?
(79 Responses)
The most important thing for the teacher prep program to improve is the clinic placements. I feel as if I got nothing out of my junior year placements
because they were subjects/grade levels that I am not interested in teaching. Being placed in middle school Art and High School Spanish did nothing for
me because I was unable to teach but only assisted and observed.
The most important thing for them to improve would be their preparation for teaching ELL's and special education students, because all teachers should
know strategies to address and meet the needs of all their students.
I think we need more required classes on teaching ELLs and students with special needs. The assessment class was not effective and needs to be
revamped as well. We also didn't get much out of the technology class because it was so early in the program.
The program should make all clinical placements be in your content area. I feel like I would be more confident in my abilities if I had spent more time in
classrooms in which I hoped to eventually teach.
UConn should provide more information on teaching ELL learners, because all teachers will come across these students during their career.
amount and quality of teaching ELL students.
ELL programs, parent support, content area specific instructional advice
I think they should have more African American faculty associated with the teacher prep program, and partner with schools in Hartford that are in
neighborhoods in which the majority of students are African American. There is almost nothing in the program related to how to teach African American
students
Have a better program for Special Ed...honestly that was the worst class that didn't really help anyone except for learning how to write IEPs.
How to teach a variety of disabilities, not just LD and ED. This was very frustrating for me.
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Giving students the option to take differentiation and multicultural education classes before or during student teaching.
Provide multicultural education and instruction in the first year. Too many students struggle in placements because of being unprepared for the urban
environments that they are placed.
providing explicit examples that can be applied to all areas of teaching, not just elementary
Classes like the methods classes for elementary majors were far more applicable and helpful than the educational psychology class. We need more
advice on how to apply what we learn in the classroom, rather than just learning theories.
Improve communication between departments, and clarification on assignments. Also condensing semester long courses to 4 week classes, because
several were very repetitive for 16 weeks, where learning took place in the first couple weeks of the course.
There are many things that could be done to improve this program. First, the methods classes for elementary ed were way too rushed. We learned
everything in one semester. I do not think the amount of time spent in a methods course for teaching math was sufficient. I could see having science be
half a semester and social studies be half a semester, but the math class should be longer. I also did not feel prepared to teach language arts. I feel like I
learned the most about reading and writing instruction during my Master's internship. The overall structure of those classes should change. I think
differentiation course was the best course I have taken in Neag. Everything she taught us directly related to classroom instruction and was relevant
information. This course needs to be mandatory for all Neag students. It should be offered during the senior year so that the methods taught can be
implemented during student teaching. Another area that should be addressed is the fact that the inquiry project does not need IRB approval. This is an
important step in the research process that I think everyone should have to go through. Finally, one of the most disappointing aspects of Neag was
having grad students teach courses. With the exception of one grad student who I had as an instructor for Teaching Children's Literature (Master's year),
most of them did not seem to love teaching seminar or know enough about the school districts to really be effective.
General education teachers need to know how to respond to and effectively implement instruction for ELL and special education/struggling students in
addition to gifted/advanced students and not just the students in the middle. I don't feel that this program has enough classes that are required by all
general education teachers to do this (such as differentiation, teaching students with special needs, gifted/talented education, multicultural education)
Clinic placements, particularly for special education majors. Not being able to be in a classroom for the full senior year and jumping into student teaching
not knowing the classroom, I feel put us behind from the get go. I also think that it is important that Neag further evaluates placements and teachers,
particularly for student teaching to ensure that the educators we are placed with and the classrooms we are in more closely align with Neag's goals and
program. I feel that cooperating teachers during student teacher as essential to building the teachers that we will be when we leave UConn and that
more care in ensuring proper, beneficial, safe, and learning-oriented placements is needed. I don't know specifically what practices are in place for
selecting cooperating teachers for student teaching, but I think it would be beneficial to interview and observe potential cooperating teachers and their
classrooms prior to placing students in the setting.
The teacher leadership course could be reduced to a workshop. The research workshops need to be condensed earlier in the year, if pertaining to
research methods/philosophies. And most importantly, Neag or UConn, as a whole, needs to support students in the necessary costs of the program
(e.g., praxis fees, graduation fees, finger printing fees). If these processes are requirements of our completion of the program they should not be
expected to come from our own pockets, especially for students who want to extend their application base outside of Connecticut to ensure that they
are employed after graduation.
During the junior year, I found being out of placement very valuable, and I am a little disappointed that is being changed. I think the best way for the
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junior year to be designed is to spent 4-5 weeks in a school district and follow the same guidelines we had in regards to the assignments and reflections
we had. This way we wouldn't get bored with our placement and see a lot more variety.
Make education courses more meaningful. Our classes at Neag have a lot of work (i.e. papers and projects) with little educational return. My classes in
London were discussion based classes in which we learned the most. Also, I think the clinic placements should be better investigated. There are many
teachers who are not exemplary teachers that we are placed with and it is difficult to learn good teaching practices with those types of teachers.
Effectively modifying instruction for English language learners because this is a population that I have encountered many times in my clinic placements
but which was not really covered in any of our classes.
Allow you to get duel certified. - i.e. getting reading certificate, special ed etc. along with other teaching certification- will allow for Neag graduates to
excel after graduation
The Junior year--the classes I took then haven't really seemed to impact me as a teacher.
Have all work be meaningful. A well facilitated, relevant discussion is more powerful than a ten page paper.
The behavior management class really was not helpful. The class should not be taught for everyone in secondary and elementary, they should be
separate. Most of the suggested methods seemed geared towards elementary students, I felt very little of what I learned was actually applicable to what
I would be doing.
It seems to me that a lot of the required courses are not successful and the elective courses are the ones that are the most useful. I wish I had taken
multicultural education and differentiation across the curriculum way sooner than my last year here. They would have been extremely important during
student teaching. Everyone should be required to take differentiation, it is the most useful and relevant class the school can offer and by far the best
class I have taken as a part of the program. I also think the classes that were mandatory, like exceptionality and assessment could be improved. These
topics are so important yet I feel unprepared after taking those courses.
UConn could require all teachers to minor in special education- it is so important with the inclusive classrooms and would benefit all teacher prep
students. Going into a classroom with that experience and knowledge would be so helpful.
Do a full year of student teaching, maybe with two different placements, and only half a year in internship
Include special education into elementary ed program. Allow more students the opportunity to study abroad and teach abroad.
The amount of knowledge gained from the masters year.
ELL teaching support.
To have assignments in class that is more directly related to when we're teaching in the classrooms. I've written many reflections which I think are
important, but I think it would be better to have assignments where we're doing something in the classroom to extend what we're learning in classes.
Teach them how to teach in an urban environment where resources are few and motivation is low. Also- screening your clinic teachers. My clinic teacher
was unsupportive and I felt didn't have the right personality to be a good mentor.
Have every student study abroad, whether it is within the States or internationally, it allows a student time to try out strategies they learned in Neag as
well as learn new strategies
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I would recommend that Neag doesn't make the out of placement clinic placement an entire semester long. Perhaps splitting the semester between the
"out of placement" and special education placements would be more beneficial. I saw the benefit in being in a secondary placement for my first
semester in the program but I felt it was unnecessary to be there for an entire semester. Also, my special education placement was sub-par and to this
day I have still not sat in on a PPT and don't feel confident about sitting in on my first PPT in the future.
I would like more instruction on classroom management before student teaching. I also feel like our cooperating teachers could have more guidance on
where we are in the program and how and what the program expectations are for them.
Omit one credit classes, and instead implement classes that have to do with teaching secondary language learners or a more intensive gifted and
talented program.
Definitely the junior year. We could have gotten a lot more out of it. Have students do clinicals within their concentration area and make sure they get a
variety of placements within that. For example elementary certification is K-6, but since I only had lower elementary experience K-2, that’s all I feel
confident/ prepared to teach.
The most important thing they could improve would be the internship placements during Junior year. We are currently placed outside of our content
area. I wish I had been exposed to another elementary classroom prior to student teaching.
I felt that a lot of focus was devoted to managing a classroom at the elementary level. Perhaps more of a focus on secondary education.
The most important thing for UConn to improve would be the placements. I strongly believe that we should be required to do a suburban and urban
student teaching experience. One in the beginning of the year and one at the end of the year.
To have student teaching is the last part of the program because then you don't go a year without being in a classroom when you apply to jobs.
More of an emphasis on working with ELLs and Special Education students in the classroom.
To have clinic placements specific to your subject area. I think it is important to learn about education as a whole, but I think that some of my placements
were not useful (such as working in a second grade classroom). I would of preferred to spend more time in social studies classrooms at different levels.
More communication between cohorts. It would be nice when you are out in the field in a placement to know other NEAG students at your school, or
others that have been there before you.
1) Have multicultural education classes offered throughout the three years 2) improve communication - my advisor changed during my program and no
one informed me as well as other things 3) have only the highest quality teachers take student teachers into their classroom 4) before people enter the
program make sure they are aware of ALL the options within NEAG. Also, inform them that we are the national research center for gifted and talented
education. I would have chosen ag. education if I knew it was an option and I may not have done the IB/M program if I had known about the Master's in
Gifted and Talented Education
More in placement internships, and courses related to ELLs and technology
Junior year needs to be restructured. I think the professors should focus on helping secondary students work with the demographic they will teach. Many
of the classes were just lecture and that doesn't help us learn different teaching strategies to teach all students. The clinic placements should also be in
middle/high schools where secondary students will teach.
Introducing all IB/M students to the basics of Special Education as well as ESL instruction would greatly improve the program. These additions would
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leave us better prepared to face the diversity of student identities and needs in our modern classroom.
Take out the junior year placements out of our content area and replace them with placements in our content area. I didn't get anything out of the junior
placement, and I felt like I was wasting time that I could have used for doing other things related to teaching.
Create a separate class for behavior management for older students, amend the exceptionalities course to include more concrete examples of how to
educate exceptional students, add more required and/or elective methods courses for students (in their junior year.)
Students should have an urban and suburban placement in their senior and master's year. Having an urban placement in your junior year is not as
effective.
Provide more opportunities for students in the Junior year to be in classrooms that they plan to teach in. My time in a high school placement was more
or less wasted and I could have benefited from being able to see more elementary classrooms.
I would say the most important thing to improve would be to do away with observing classrooms out of your content area/grade level. Yes you can learn
from these experiences, but it would have been incredibly more valuable for me to have been in different high school classrooms the entire time.
Your portfolio should be a reflective piece that begins in your junior year, adding artifacts slowly and removing things as necessary. During our Master's
year, the portfolio assignment became overwhelming at times and didn't have to be. If it were built into our seminars starting in junior year, the we
would have more meaningful content, as well as feel less intimidated by the creation of the portfolio itself.
Communication and continuity throughout the program. Also many of the classes junior year were not a valuable use of our time, most things I learned
that year I already knew or the information was not provided in a useful way.
Have students go into different classrooms related to what they actually plan to teach. All students should have to take Differentiation, maybe even
before student teaching, it was a great course.
I think that the out-of-area placements that I did junior weren't as effective as if we had gone straight to specialization areas. To me, junior year
placements were the least important in my education because they didn't provide me with enough time in the classroom in an elementary setting
because I was in a middle school and a high school. It would have been more effective had I started out in an elementary classroom to begin with. I also
feel as if multicultural education and issues of race, gender, equality, etc. weren't explored until my Master's courses. Reflecting back, I think it would
have been better to be exposed to these "tough" topics early on, so that we could attempt to adjust our framework for teaching to better fit the beliefs
that I've been able to establish just in my last year in the program.
Everyone should have an urban and suburban placement (not just as an observer) and you should have a chance to work with upper and lower
elementary (grade levels).
Requirement for elementary majors to work with both lower elementary and upper elementary AND urban and suburban districts
Get rid of the Junior year out of area placements...maybe we could spend a few weeks in a middle or high school, but not the entire year. It's a waste of
time that could be much better spent getting more experience in our certification area.
More direct instruction on how to work with ELL students in your classroom.
Revamp Latinos and Education and the PBIS course. Latinos taught by xxx did not offer any new information on the Latino cultures and if failed to offer
strategies to improve their learning. The PBIS course seemed as if UConn was trying to sell PBIS because I know they have an invested interest in it. The
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course showed classes with minor behavior issues but that is not realistic. If I teach in Hartford, Windham or Bridgeport I will be faced with many
behavior issues but the course did not accurately portray students in schools. We would have been better off listening to actual teachers share their
experiences with classroom management and offer suggestions. This way, instead of trying to sell PBIS, we can be exposed to many different styles of
classroom management skills.
I feel that there were many other classes that I would have liked to take during my master's year but I did not have time in my schedule. I feel that the
leadership class could have been less credits or eliminated to allow for more time in my schedule. I think that a leadership class is important but I do not
feel I gained anything from having taken the class that way it was. I also think it would be beneficial to have gotten even more experience in the grade
levels that I will be able to teach. For example, I will be certified to teach K-6 but have little experience in the younger grades.
working with ELL students because of the growing population of non-English speakers
I believe it is important for time to be sent focusing on effective ELL instruction and working with special education students. These can prove to be a
high population of students in many districts, and it is important that all educators know how to meet their needs efficiently.
I do not feel that all my clinic placements were relevant to me. I was in a secondary, Spanish class for honors students -- and I want to teach special ed.
There were no students in that particular class with disabilities and I was lost in the content. I didn't gain much except teacher connections...
Make differentiation a required course. Create a classroom management course specifically for HIGH SCHOOL. Nix the placements outside of our
content/grade level. Encourage 5th year placement schools to design the research question for their interns, so they will see us as vital/important. These
are all equally important suggestions for you to consider!
The clinic placements because I would have liked to have the opportunity to work in a special education school, as well as have the opportunity to be in
the same classroom as my student teaching placement the semester before student teaching (like I believe elementary and secondary had). I would have
also liked the opportunity to have a duel-certification program like other universities have.
The junior year course work/clinic placements. I would also like to see more interview and job fair support. Finally, I believe it would be helpful to
provide actual lesson planning classes other than the subject area content courses.
More social justice before graduate school. It is a very important topic that is rarely discussed.
More time in the specific content placement (i.e. more time working in a special education environment within a school)
No more out of area placements; I would have liked to experience middle school but never got the chance to. Also, the graduate year Multicultural
course should be offered earlier in the curriculum. It was fun, informative and really useful.
The most important thing to improve would be the way that Special Education majors receive their education. The undergraduate classes that we took in
assessment were not beneficial. We took one class in Exceptionality, with the major focus being to create an IEP for a student in groups, but as a Special
Education major we had already done this in a class. Also, the way that placements work. I would have loved to be in a Special Education placement for
the Master's year to continue learning about working with this diverse population and seeing a different setting than I previously had worked in.
Observations in all Special Education classrooms would benefit a student by allowing them to see that there can be resource rooms, Autism rooms, etc.
Allow us to take Educational Psych as sophomores so that we have more time in our junior year to take more classes. Provide classes over winter
intersession so that students can work on their credit amounts outside of the regular semester. Increase teaching skills and encouraging students to
work in urban schools because there are very specific skills a teacher needs to be able to understand and work with culturally diverse students. Have our
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Junior year placements in our subject area and ensure teachers are appropriate placements. Allow elementary majors to have specializations (PBIS,
literacy, dual language).
In the SPED program, they should give more course opportunities or clinic placements in self-contained classrooms (i.e., special schools for students with
autism)
the literacy professor did not do well. I feel as though that could have been a very valuable class and I missed out on that.
I believe students should be offered with more opportunities on assessments-- i.e. rubrics, scaling, etc. I felt like I was not as prepared as I should have
been in terms of grading students on subjective assignments. Furthermore, I felt that I knew some examples on how to differentiate instruction, but
would have liked more examples. Finally, I think it is important that we are provided with more time on classroom management. I know it is something
that needs to be developed in the classroom; however, I know that one of the largest concerns for everyone in the class was this issue.
1. Alter the Exceptionality course to involve how to work with students who have IEPs and not just how to write one. 2. Require a diversity course earlier
then the Master's year
Establishing rapport with parents, because I have seen how difficult it can be to collaborate with parents, especially when you have bad news or a PPT
doesn't go well.
Have music be its own program.
Ideally, what will be your most important achievements and/or accomplishments in the Teacher Education Program at the Neag School? Upon graduation,
I hope to ...
(118 Responses)
secure a job where I can continue to grow and learn to better my teaching for my students.
get a job in an urban community where I can support student achievement and instill hope in children from this community.
volunteer with the Peace Corps for 2 years and then return to CT and get a full time teaching job in an urban elementary school.
Attain a full time job teaching English at the middle school level. I also hope to eventually pursue further education and maybe go into
administration.
Begin substitute teaching and find a full time job for the fall.
get a job as an elementary school teacher. Become a teacher leader in my school. Be a resource of new educational knowledge for my future
school.
be able to effectively manage student behavior and assist other teachers with their behavior management skills.
get a job teaching in an urban school
Move to Florida and stay there to later get my EdD and become an administrator there.
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Have an idea of where I want to work, with what students, and with what population
get a job where the school environment is comfortable and encouraging to students to build school pride and equity for all
Get my inquiry project published.
get a job.
get a job!!!
Get a job. Feel confident to answer interview questions.
Get a job!
Continue work in schools throughout the summer and gain employment in a school setting that is ideal for me and my teaching beliefs. I hope to
one day use what I've learned to become teacher of the year in my district.
work in an Urban district similar to my placements in East Hartford in a school that is collaborative and positive in nature. I hope to work with
students across a variety of grade levels both with high incidence and low incidence disabilities. I hope most to find a school that is the "right fit"
with my teaching ideals and vision in which I feel that I can collaborate with other professionals and share the beliefs that all students are capable
of being successful.
Stay in touch with my most valued teachers, secure a desirable teaching job, and be invited back to UConn for further development/professional
opportunities.
Present myself with as much knowledge as the program has given me.
GET A JOB!
Get a job
Get a job.
Secure a full-time position as either a Middle or High School English teacher.
Get a job in a school where I am allowed to be creative in my lesson plans.
have a job.
find a job.
I hope to get an elementary teaching job.
find a job shortly after school ends
Get an elementary school teaching job.
Have a job.
have a job, and be a great teacher. I think Neag provided me with the skills and practice to do this so I hope it comes true
pursue a career in teaching
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Dean's list--surviving Student/Teaching with an unsupportive clinic teacher.
have a job
get a job.
be able to have anything teacher say that they would be proud and feel comfortable that their child is a student in my classroom.
get a teaching job and make a difference for the students in my classroom! I hope to be able to provide professional development for the staff in
my school about the latest news in the education field. (i.e. CCSS)
I hope to get a job teaching elementary school in a supportive, yet challenging, school.
Begin a teaching career
I hope to obtain a position with a school that aligns with my professional philosophies and that I "fit" into so that I can follow my dream/passion
and become a teacher. I hope to become a more effective, confident teacher. I hope to motivate students to become knowledgeable, lifelong
learners. Above all, I hope to have the opportunity to work hard in order to become an outstanding teacher who makes real differences within
each of her students.
Get a job.
My growth as an educator is my biggest accomplishment. I have been able to take part in a variety of professional development activities, and
collaborate with other teachers, which has improved my own teaching philosophy and strategies.
Secure a job as a special educator in an urban district.
Find a job NOT within a school system
I hope to feel prepared and confident in my abilities to teach a diverse group of students.
become a social studies/history teacher
To be hired as a high school social studies teacher. In my classroom, I will prioritize meeting the needs of each any ever one of my students
through individualized instruction. Additionally, I will engage my students with creative lessons and authentic assessment.
Obtain a job in Connecticut teaching social studies, and eventually go back to school to get my 6th year.
Get a job teaching full time in CT
obtain a job working in an urban school where I can help students become the best that they can and fight against the opportunity gap.
Upon graduation I hope to be able to obtain a job in an upper-elementary classroom.
Secure a job teaching high school English.
obtain a job teaching elementary school students and serve as a leader in the school community, who teaches respect and good citizenship to
students.
become a well respected teacher by my student, students parents, and other staff members
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find a job! Not sure exactly where I want to teach yet, I would be happy being a tutor in a school to start and then beginning my career as a
fulltime classroom teacher.
My biggest accomplishment has been completing my Master's year. I found that I had so much more responsibility this year because not only did I
have my internship four days a week, but also had classes on top of that (as opposed to student teaching when you don't have classes), as well as a
focus on our inquiry project. Because I had so many responsibilities in my internship, I consider it a huge success to have balanced all of my
responsibilities and successfully complete the program this year. Student teaching was the other most rewarding and valuable experience.
I hope to get a job that fits my teaching philosophy. Eventually I would like to go back for a higher degree.
be able to effectively motivate and inspire students while also providing students with the content in an engaging way
Feel confident and prepared that I am understand how to effectively engage students, manage behavior, establish a positive classroom
environment, and have a strong content area knowledge.
Upon graduation, I hope be prepared to walk into my first job with the knowledge needed to help all of my students achieve their learning
potential.
get a job.
have a classroom of my own teaching 4th or 5th grade.
secure a teaching position at a primary grade level
utilize all the information that I have learned and apply that to my own classroom, creating an enriching environment for all students.
be hired. I feel that Neag's IB/M program really prepared me for the practical aspects of teaching as well as the educational theory that supports it.
...become employed!
quickly find a job. Also I would eventually like to get a degree in elementary education or speech and language pathology.
I hope to find a job in a school where I can establish myself and develop my skills as an educator and a teacher leader.
get a job.
Obtain a job and learn to become a better teacher
become a teacher in an urban school district.
receive a position teaching Special Education in a suburban resource classroom.
Work in Philadelphia Public Schools.
Get a job in CT.
transition smoothly into my classroom as a first year teacher.
find a job in an inner city district, because I feel confident that my experiences and knowledge gained here will help me there. It is an important
accomplishment to me that I was able to figure out an idea of a place that is a good fit for me (hopefully I can find a job in my ideal district)!
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become a successful and effective teacher.
Please tell us anything else tied to your teacher preparation program or your career that is relevant that you would like to share.
(38 Responses)
-Methods classes were too short and rushed: we didn't learn how to teach the content areas (math, science, social studies, reading & writing):
either one semester per methods class or 2 per semester would be more beneficial -As I said before, it would be more beneficial to have all 4
clinic placements be in your area: more experience/exposure to different classroom settings and teaching styles -A special education placement
should be required or at least in a classroom with a high numbers in special education -A class on teaching ELL students would be greatly
beneficial because the number of ELL students is growing and a class on teaching special education students would increase our knowledge of
how to differentiate lessons, accommodate and modify
I love the outcome of this program (being a teacher), but sometimes I felt like we were going through these motions without understanding
their relevance until a while after they were to be completed.
I think Neag is a great program, and the fact that I went here really helped me to get a job offer.
I would like to be better prepared to fill out applications, know how to interview, and what questions are part of the interview process before
my final graduate school semester.
Overall, I feel like this program really prepared me to be a successful classroom teacher (despite all my suggestions).
The teacher leadership class is a waste of time in my opinion, these credits could be better devoted to learning about differentiating instruction
or another applicable area rather than how to be subversive, this is just not something we are worried about or that applies to new teachers at
this point in our careers. Also, the behavior management class was too broad, talking about theories from educational psychologists that we
were asked to already learn about in our psychology requirement classes. The behavior management class should talk about effective
classroom management strategies and not the history of behavior management in schools.
I feel very strongly about selecting Clinical placements that are the right fit for students and Neag's conceptual framework. I think that being in
out of area placements can be useful and provides us with a broader knowledgebase and list of experiences to draw from. Another concern I
have is regarding the junior level Exceptionality course. From the special education perspective, I don't think that whole cohort gains enough
knowledge and experience to appropriately and effectively work with Special Education students. In conversations that I have had I feel that
students walk away thinking they don't want to work with students with disabilities or that they won't have to work with this population. I
continue to see in my last year that many people in the program have negative attitudes about special education services and students with
disabilities. I hope that future cohorts are provided with more instruction for and exposure to working with students with disabilities in a
positive light. I think that Neag teacher's attitudes about students with disabilities can continue to grow most positive through placing students
in this type of placement during clinicals.
Streamline the masters year and allow for more room for electives. Provide more TA positions, preferably paid.
I feel that the program has prepared me a little bit in many areas of teaching and there are few situations that I could not anticipate. I think that
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"Differentiation" should be made a mandatory course and "Multicultural Education" should be extended to be a full year long.
The London program has had significant impact in my professional growth as an educator. There, I learned how to work with a diverse group of
students by learning about other cultures and bringing it into the classroom. The classes I have taken since I have been back have required a lot
of busy work with little impact. I feel that during this time in our education we need to focus on getting jobs not writing meaningless papers
with teachers who read off of PowerPoint slides.
The London program was where I learned the most as a student and a professional. The classes there allowed me to think in new ways and
discover new critical ideas about education. The classes I have attended since I have been back have been a lot of work with very little impact.
London classes were set up as three hour discussions where I would leave every class feeling like a had learned more than I ever had. Now that
we're back on campus I feel as though I am sitting in class and completing work that does not impact me as an educator. I am bored and do not
enjoy completing assignments that do not further my thinking as a future teacher. The London program has been the single most important
aspect of my educational career.
Going to London was also one of the best experiences....I learned more in my London class then I did in my UConn Storrs class when I came
back. The graduate level classes seemed to have a lot of busy work with not enough graduate level thinking. The only time I felt as though I was
being pushed to think like a graduate student, make sense of ideas and come to new realizations is when I was in my London education classes.
The London program allowed me to learn so much as a student, teacher, and global citizen.
My time in London was the most valuable in all of NEAG. Not only did I grow as a person, but it gave me the opportunity to develop
professionally. I recommend the London program become more accessible to all students.
I feel that junior year out of placements was unnecessary and I wish I had gotten more experience within my field. I also feel that the special
education placement should be within your concentration and not out of placement, it is important to experience and witness this in a setting I
will actually be teaching in.
I feel prepared to be an educator because of my amazing placement experiences, but I think my classes lacked enthusiasm and excitement for
the most part. Most of my classes were lectures, which we have learned as teachers are not an effective way to learn.
The London program taught me more about being a teacher than anything done at Uconn. It is a valuable piece to a person’s growth as well as
their resume.
I believe that everyone should have a teaching semester abroad, because it makes you look at the US education system in a different way.
Questioning why we do things in various ways is essential for us to be great educators. Also, the workload in London made us learn important
information, whereas I feel the classes now are terrible. We do tons of papers that are meaningless. Less busy work and more discussion and
meaningful work would be great. Teachers should not assign work just to assign it. Teacher leadership course is useless.
The classes I took in London promoted deeper discussions and learning. The classes I am taking this semester have the potential to delve into
greater discourse but tend to have assignments that I don't think I am getting much out of
The London program for me already took a high quality education and vaulted it up even higher. It was an invaluable cultural as well as
academic experience. The people I came to work within the school were true professionals and made my experience worthwhile. adviser gave
me such great guidance throughout my varied programs; they made the program as great as it was.
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Going to London as part of my Master's program was the best decision I made with preparing me for my future as an educator. I now feel that I
can implement a culturally responsive classroom better than my peers who were not immersed in a culture unlike our own. I believe that Neag
needs to maintain the London program in order to prepare students to work in extremely diverse settings and get the experiences that lacked
back at UConn. In London I was able to work directly with English language learners whose native language was something other than Spanish.
Although this was a task at first (due to lack of experience), I knew the benefits that would come from it and I am excited about working directly
with ELL in the future. I think if I had not gone to London, my thoughts and opinions on working with ELL would be very different.
Getting involved in community outreach as a tutor was an effective means to enhance my teaching skills to accommodate a student's individual
needs.
My experience in the reading resource room during my internship was so beneficial, and I would encourage everyone to receive Early Literacy
Instruction.
I would just suggest having more communication on things like graduation, certification, and so forth. I felt like I was usually independent or
had to make my own efforts to ask questions regarding important dates/information. I wish more people checked-in on us and followed our
experiences!
I also think that there should be some internships tied to special education as an option. This entire year I had very little experience with special
education, although it was interesting to see things from the regular education point of view.
I really enjoyed my experience in the Honors Program. Through my undergraduate thesis project I had an opportunity to visit six different
classrooms to interview teachers about their practice (related to classroom management, but I was able to observe other things as well). It was
helpful for me even though I only spent a couple of hours in each classroom. This is part of the reason why I recommended students in the
Junior year having more opportunities to be in classrooms at their desired grade level.
Perhaps let people choose who they would like to work with during their Master's Year Internship, or have more supervision over what the
interns are doing in the internship.
I had a wonderful experience! Thanks you.
I really think everyone should have an urban placement either for student teaching or their master's year, I learned so much about teaching,
working with students and schools from my placement in Hartford. I found I had very different perspectives about teaching after that
experience that many of my colleagues did not share.
The faculty members are great! Overall I am happy with the program.
The supervisors and teachers we are placed with should be evaluated more strictly to make sure they are actually good mentors, teachers, and
role models. Luckily I had an amazing cooperating teacher during student teaching, but my out of area placement Junior year at Windham High
School was awful. The woman I was with never taught a single lesson and did not support me or teach me anything. She never should have
been allowed to participate in this program.
I believe that the classes I took during my masters year, such as differentiation and multicultural education, would have been more beneficial to
me had I been required to take them prior to my student teaching.
Differentiation should be a year long course and the Leadership course taken in the Master's year is unhelpful.
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I found the out-of-discipline clinic placements to be of little help.
Educational Psych/ Classroom Management= most unhelpful courses in your program. Include more METHODS!
Truthfully, I enjoyed my experience in this program and feel that I am appropriately prepared for my first classroom in the fall.
Multicultural education should come earlier in the program
I felt very supported by the staff here. If there was ever a problem I did not feel like I had nowhere to turn, and I think Neag is a place I can
come to in the future for any questions that might arise.
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