Abstract
This paper examines the defined charisms of an international field placement, the connection of those gifts with the culture and faith of participating preservice teaching candidates and investigates candidates’ reflections of teaching persona and self-efficacy fostered by an international teaching experience. Launched in 2010, the ELISA (English Leaners in Specialized Atmosphere) program was intended to provide opportunities for preservice candidates to cultivate global classroom perspectives and culturally relevant teaching. As the partnership between the University and pilot schools in Gaming, Austria strengthened, the education faculty began to identify that something deeper was occurring. Participants in the field placements were not only developing pedagogy but connecting their faith to their reflective practice and teaching. Keywords: charism, study abroad, preservice teaching candidates, culturally relevant teaching
Highlights
As America’s educational institutions strive to encompass a more global perspective and foster career ready citizens, international partnerships that provide study abroad opportunities for preservice teacher candidates are in high demand
The researchers believe that participants of the ELISA program are using the charisms of relationships, teaching and dignity of each person to self-discover their own charism and teaching persona
Pre-service candidates who participate in the international program gained the confidence to choose jobs where they would be more likely to find themselves as the minority within the majority and demonstrated greater self-efficacy in their field placements upon returning to the United States
Summary
As America’s educational institutions strive to encompass a more global perspective and foster career ready citizens, international partnerships that provide study abroad opportunities for preservice teacher candidates are in high demand. This article examines how the ELISA (English Learners in Specialized Atmosphere) program has provided opportunities for pre-service teacher candidates to develop their cultural competency but more importantly, the manifestation of connecting participant’s perspectives of their faith to identified charisms. Given the increasing demand of classroom diversity, it is important that educator preparation programs create global experiences that enable pre-service teachers’ opportunities to become culturally competent in 21st century schools. Kagan and Stewart (2005) note that the majority of graduates in educator preparation programs are white, female and accept jobs less than 200 miles away from their home communities; contributing to the demand for pre-service candidates to have experience in diverse classroom settings. Through the use of a WIKI, pre-service candidates were defining the classroom pedagogy, they were observing and participating in ESL planning and instruction. The researchers offer that pre-service teachers who are taught to identify and purposefully incorporate charisms in their classroom will find greater confidence in the teaching and classroom planning
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