Barbara McWhorter: A View on Teacher Preparation

Barbara McWhorter, co-director of Project Promise, a teacher education program for people switching careers, describes how the program works.

1. Why is it important that Project Promise students work in groups -- or cohorts -- and how does the process work?

We in the beginning set up three weeks where we spend time working with them on how to develop trust in each other, how to support each other. We have a ropes course that we have them go through. We also have a whole communications class that we have them go through. And then we talk about the Roman Legion and how, in the beginning, that was the way that they protected each other, they had the Phalanx where they would lock shields and spears -- they were invincible and that's how they conquered so many countries.

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