VOICES LESS SILENCED: WHAT DO VETERAN TEACHERS VALUE IN SCHOOL–UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS AND INITIAL TEACHER PREPARATION?

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe how veteran teachers understand and experience the development of a Professional Development School (PDS) partnership and how they participate in initial teacher preparation program reform. The author presents a case, which examines the voices and participation of veteran teachers in developing a PDS in depth, along with offering descriptive evidence of what veteran teachers value in initial teacher preparation, what they focus on in school–university partnerships, and how they negotiate tensions within collaboration. Three key themes involve the “giving” character of mentor teachers, based in professionalism; an emphasis on structure and the practical nature of teacher preparation; and the development of multiple collaborative relationships toward professional growth.