Creating a “third space” in student teaching: Implications for the university supervisor’s status as outsider

The work of teacher education during student teaching typically takes place in two distinct “spaces”: placement sites and college/university settings. The program featured in this article is structured in ways that clearly mark out those two spaces. Yet this configuration led our university supervisors, whose work primarily took place in the field, to feel like “outsiders.” To redress this concern, a third learning space was incorporated into our student teaching seminar. We suggest that “third spaces” in combination with return-to-campus courses not only mitigates the peripherality of university supervisors, but also amplifies the influence of a teacher preparation program.

► University supervisors created a unique pedagogical space for student teachers. ► This space allowed student teachers to learn across different discourse communities. ► Data evidences access to new conversations, refined pedagogy, and deeper bonds. ► This new space was a simple, yet powerful reform in our teacher education program.