University of Phoenix launches teacher preparation boot camp amid national shortage
The University of Phoenix College of Education has introduced an intensive training course, informally called the “boot camp,” to prepare student teachers in response to the national teacher shortage in the USA.
The course complements the university’s flexible online degree programs and aims to better equip aspiring educators for classroom challenges.
Like the UK, the USA faces a national teacher shortage, with approximately 55,000 full-time teaching positions currently unfilled nationwide. This shortage has placed additional pressure on educational institutions to find and prepare qualified teachers to meet the growing demand.
The University of Phoenix College of Education is addressing this issue through targeted training programs designed to support future educators.
The “Prepping for Student Teaching Success” course, commonly referred to as the boot camp, was created to address gaps in teacher preparation. Dr. Pamela Roggeman, Dean of the College of Education, explains that the course was developed in response to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education.
“While COVID-19 is firmly in the rearview mirror for many work environments, the College of Education continues to address lingering aspects of the pandemic on educators,” Roggeman stated.
Course Structure and Objectives
The boot camp consists of five comprehensive modules designed to cover critical aspects of teaching:
Classroom management
Lesson planning and instruction
Professional dispositions
Social/emotional learning
Understanding the edTPA assessment
These modules aim to provide student teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their roles, particularly in environments where they might have limited mentorship due to the teacher shortage.
In light of the teacher shortage, some school districts have begun compensating student teachers to encourage the completion of their programmes. This policy shift has helped reduce financial barriers associated with the traditionally unpaid student teaching period. However, many returning students require refreshers on instructional basics due to pauses in their education, which the boot camp aims to address.
Student teachers often find themselves managing classrooms independently, a role traditionally supported by certified teachers. The College of Education has developed training resources for faculty supervisors to mitigate this challenge.
“As novice teachers, they need more support,” Roggeman noted. The university has also adjusted its on-site informational meetings and midterm evaluations to provide timely support and address any issues student teachers may encounter.
The 2024 Career Optimism Index study by the University of Phoenix’s Career Institute highlights several challenges faced by educators, including a lack of upskilling opportunities and clear career progression pathways. According to the study, educators require support in areas such as learning new skills, seeking growth opportunities, expanding their professional networks, and understanding new tools related to AI.
The University of Phoenix focuses on adult learners, providing pathways for student teachers, those looking to upskill, career changers, and parents interested in becoming educators.
Roggeman emphasised the university’s proactive approach:
"We intentionally created training resources to help faculty supervisors in the schools where our students are placed. Additionally, we moved up our on-site informational meeting and midterm evaluation schedule to earlier in the student teachers’ field assignments so we can triage problems they might be experiencing.”
