Volume 14, Issue 2 (2019)

Once the luster of a new school year starts to diminish, the maintenance work begins. As educators, maintenance involves the continuation of our own professional growth, reflection on the academic progress made so far this year, and a look toward the horizon--where the known and the unknown meet--for additional ways to improve our work. In this issue of The Northwest Journal of Teacher Education educators share insights into how they carry their work forward.

Volume 14, Issue 2 begins with the research of Michelle Simmons & Laurie A. Sharp that examines assessment practices in Special Education Teacher Preparation, an area that is both important as well as under-represented in the literature. Next, teacher educator Rebecca Smith reflects on the way her pedagogy changed after attending a conference focused on equity-based instructional practices. Her article provides specific strategies for other teacher educators to employ that can support teacher candidates' use of culturally sustaining practices.

Sarah J. Kaka and Jennifer Tygret share their research on how administrators view the preparation and performance of new teachers, connecting the threads between Teacher Preparation Programs and K-12 student learning. Additionally, Kaka & Tygret share recommendations for TPP improvement. Shari L. Daniels and Pamela Beck contribute new research on teachers-as-writers, including the connection between teacher identity and how they approach writing instruction in their classrooms. Volume 14, Issue 2 ends with an essay from Michael Turnlund, a retired high school teacher, who shares a model used by his rural school to provide students with personally-relevant and rigorous curriculum within the budgetary constraints of a small school district. The innovative model not only provided more meaningful college and career offerings, but it also had the unintended effect of increasing enrollment at the school.

Please enjoy the new issue and the contributions from our colleagues across the region as we all work to grow, reflect, and continue to look toward the horizon.