Learning (about learning) from four teachers

For two years university-based researchers observed, interviewed, and had c onversations with four elementary school teachers to understand how their b eliefs and classroom practices about reading changed or remained the same o ver those two years and to develop, a theory about how teachers construct n ew beliefs and change their practices. Over the two years of the study, all four teachers introduced into their classroom new language, beliefs and/or practices. Three of the teachers did so experimentally, trying out new ide as and juxtaposing them with current beliefs and practices. At the end of t he two years, two of these three teachers had altered their beliefs about r eading and teaching reading and had transformed their practices. We believe that substantive change occurred for these two teachers because thy experi mented with new ideas and practices and because they focused on the skills and strategies individual students The paper explores die implications of t hese findings for being a teacher educator.