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For students training as teachers, their experiences during practice teaching placements help prepare them with the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to succeed in their future careers. While most placements are conducted in the classroom, helping teachers move beyond traditional approaches is important for preparing them for current classroom realities. For Dr. , this opportunity was seen in the form of a field-based practicum placement – on a housing construction site.

As of 2018, 12 Werklund School of Education pre-service teachers have completed one of their practica with Building Futures, a program for Grade 10 students run through the Rocky View School District. After having completed placements in schools, the Werklund students were also able to experience learning to teach in this non-traditional environment.

 A Transforming Experience

While the student-teachers are still responsible for teaching the Grade 10 curriculum in this setting, they are also exposed to the innovative program and able to develop capacities beyond what is feasible in a regular classroom. The students learned to adapt their teaching to the environment, with most ‘classes’ taking place in the garage of the homes under construction, and adapt their lessons to fit the hands-on learning that takes place on the site.

Reports from these pre-service teachers revealed how their unique learning experience helped them develop effective teaching practices. The participants recognized the importance of fostering strong relationships – with students, among students, with the community, and with real-world applications of school subjects. The connections established through the task of building the houses translates to the traditional classroom, where calls for more meaningful relationships that extend beyond the classroom are being made.

The student-teachers’ understanding of lesson design was also changed as a result of their practicum. While prospective teachers learn about the goals for twenty-first century education, work in the construction setting required them to take on these traits. Tasks and lessons here were necessarily meaningful and worthwhile, being based on an authentic experience, both of which are recognized as factors leading to more impactful learning. The experience combined math, science, language, and social studies together, which created an interdisciplinary project, applied to this practical setting. The changing nature of the construction project also required the teachers to be flexible, adapt their lessons to fit different phases and developments in the project.

 21st Century Education

Learning from all those involved in the project, from their students, other teachers, and community members, the pre-service teachers involved with Building Futures developed their teaching capacities in ways that extend past what they may have experienced in more traditional settings. The participants gained an experience that was not only unique, but provided essential training and fostered an approach to teaching that fits the needs of the 21st century classroom. With these skills and attitudes, these pre-service teachers are more prepared to take on teaching and learning, both in the classroom and beyond.