Teaching to Teach

"How to teach English literature should be the concern of professors of English, not experts in curriculum and instruction ... Everything you need to know about how to teach English -- that can be taught didactically -- can be learned within the framework of an undergraduate English major"

This was an idea that especially struck me in the article titled "Teaching as we're Taught: The University's Role in the Education of English Teachers by Marshall and Smith (Published by the National Council of English Teachers). So...Should English professors be in charge of teaching how to teach? 

As I think about this question, I have to sort of relate how I feel as a Secondary Education/English student. How would I feel if I had to rely on my English professors in order to learn how to teach? Honestly, I don't think I would feel as comfortable going into my field as I do with help from my Education professors. At this point, I have taken my fair share of English courses. I've been studying English in college for going-on-five-years, and I do not know how to teach. I'm currently feeling more comfortable with the "how"s, but that's mostly because of my pre-internship. So, on a personal level -- I don't agree with English professors being capable of teaching me how to teach.

On the other hand, I think it's important to think about the role of mentor teachers, as I think that's what is going to really prepare me for teaching. This article makes the case for mentor teachers and explains why they're so important. Because mentor teachers are so crucial to the process of learning how to teach, I think it's plausible that English teachers could be taught solely by English professors, but with students having much more experience in the classroom with a mentor. If this were the case, I think the pre-internship would have to be upped to at least three semesters in various classrooms.

One final detail I think is really important to keep in mind is the differences between secondary education teachers and University Professors. Can professors really give future teachers an adequate preparation for secondary ed. teachers just by leading by example? For one, University Professors have much more freedom with curriculum and approach it differently. The standards are also different, as well as the approaches. When it all boils down, the two levels are education are whole different ball-games, and I think we should stick with specialized education for teachers. Learning by example doesn't necessarily work when you have two totally different areas of instruction.