Teaching Education Vol. 19, No. 4, December 2008, 337–349 ISSN 1047-6210 print/ISSN 1470-1286 online © 2008 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/10476210802438324 http://www.informaworld.com 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Emerging authenticity: the crafting of simulated parent–teacher candidate conferences Benjamin H. Dotger a *, Steven Harris b and Amber Hansel b a Teaching and Leadership, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA; b SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA Taylor and Francis CTED_A_344000.sgm (Received 6 March 2008; final version received 22 August 2008) 10.1080/10476210802438324 Teaching Education 1047-6210 (print)/1470-1286 (online) Original Article 2008 Taylor & Francis 19 4 000000December 2008 Dr BenjaminDotger bdotger@syr.edu Schools of education struggle to provide future teachers with opportunities to engage in and practice parent–teacher conferences. This manuscript addresses the diffusion of a signature pedagogy from medical education to teacher education, specifically highlighting the design and implementation considerations surrounding simulated parent–teacher conferences. Focus group data center on the training of individuals to portray parents authentically during these simulated parent–teacher conferences. Pre- service teachers’ interview data reflect on the authenticity of this new approach to novice teacher preparation. Implications center on the connections between medical and teacher education contexts and the further diffusion of this pedagogy to prepare future school leaders for complex social interactions with parents. Keywords: parent–teacher conference; authenticity; standardized patient; standardized parent; situated cognition Introduction Professional challenges are common throughout the experiences of pre-service and beginning teachers. These challenges – designing a new class, navigating a difficult conversation, working with a student’s behavior – result in anxiety, doubt, and adrenaline (Denzin, 1984; Fuller, 1969; Hall & Hord, 2001; Hargreaves, 1998). Schools of education continuously fine-tune both their curricula and field placements to raise pre-service teach- ers’ awareness of, and craft their ability to navigate, these experiences. One professional challenge – that of the interaction between parent and teacher – has traditionally eluded schools of education. Teacher preparation institutions often fall short of providing future teachers with opportunities to practice navigating social interactions with parents and care- givers (Chavkin & Williams, 1988; Epstein, 2005; Epstein & Sanders, 2006; Ferrara & Ferrara, 2005 ; Fredericks & Rasinski, 1990; Lawrence-Lightfoot, 2003; Maclure & Walker, 2000; McBride, 1991; McMurray-Schwarz & Baum, 2000; Nathan & Radcliff, 1994; Shartrand, Weiss, Kreider & Lopez, 1997; Tichenor, 1998). In fact, parent–teacher interactions are most often only addressed through occasional readings, lectures, or obser- vations of parent–teacher conferences (Becker & Epstein, 1982; Chavkin & Williams, 1988; Epstein, 2001). Recognizing the virtual absence of opportunity that future teachers have to interact and communicate with parents/caregivers, we wanted to construct a signature pedagogy *Corresponding author. Email: bdotger@syr.edu CTED_A_344000.fm Page 337 Wednesday, October 8, 2008 4:15 PM