Urban Semester

Abstract

Pamela G. Mouchaham and Amanda R. Barnhart are two of the 30 elementarypreservice teachers who chose to participate in the Urban Semesterprogramduring Fall 2006. The Urban Semester is an immersive experience wherepreser-vice teachers spend all day every day for a full 16 week semester working side byside with a classroom teacher in an urban school. It is similar to student teach-ing but happens BEFORE student teaching while students are taking theirmethods classes. For their efforts students earn 18 credit hours incourseworkthat applies toward their major. In this article Pamela and Amanda sharesomeof their experiences working in an urban elementary school in Indianapolis.