Organization

Initial teacher education may be organized according to two basic models.
In the 'consecutive' model, a teacher first obtains a qualification (often a first
university degree), and then studies for a further period to gain an additional
qualification in teaching; (in some systems this takes the form of a post-graduate degree,
possibly even a [[Master's degreeMasters]]).
The alternative is where a student simultaneously studies both in an academic subject and
the ways of teaching that subject, leading to a qualification as a teacher of that subject.
Other pathways are also available. In some countries, it is possible for a person to receive
training as a teacher under the responsibility of an accredited experienced practitioner in
a school.
Teacher Education in many countries takes place in institutions of [[Higher Education]]. In
the United States, approximately one-third of new teachers being hired are coming through
alternative routes to teacher certification according to testimony given by Emily
Feistritzer, the President of National Center for Alternative Certification and the National
Center for Education Information, to a congressional subcommittee on May 17, 2007. However,
many alternative pathways are affiliated with schools of education, where candidates still
enroll in university-based coursework. A supplemental component of university-based
coursework is community-based teacher education, where teacher candidates immerse themselves
in communites that will allow them to apply teaching theory to practice. Community-based
teacher education also challenges teacher candidate's assumptions about the issues of
gender, race, and multicultural diversity.