“Firecrackers” and “Duds”

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to examine the perspective of the cooperating music teacher in the student teaching experience. Three cooperating music teachers serve as participants in the study: one high school and elementary band director, one middle school choral director, and one elementary through high school orchestra director. Data are collected through interviews and e-mail prompts and then coded and analyzed for emerging themes. Power emerges as a strong theme. When discussing relationships with student teachers, cooperating teachers describe how power is shared; the power structures are defined by the researcher on a continuum from student—teacher relationship to team-teaching relationship to a collaborative partnership. Generally, the cooperating music teachers find the more collaborative partnerships to be the most satisfying.