“You teach!” beginning teachers’ challenges to teacher educators

Abstract This research describes three beginning teachers and the development of their literacy instruction. Research questions addressed included a) what characterized their instruction throughout their beginning years of teaching and b) were they using the content from their literacy methods coursework? Additionally, as their former teacher for literacy methods courses, I wanted to reflect on and improve my own instruction in these methods courses. The three teachers’ approach to instruction developed in similar patterns. First, they all relied on mandated and suggested curricula and neglected integration of ideas not listed in the curricula. Second, they each went through periods of abandoning the curricula in favor of creating their own plans. Third, they all asked me to teach for them, while they watched. This development was not linear; rather, their development occurred in a recursive pattern. Implications are described for teacher educators regarding how we might better facilitate beginning teachers’ learning.