So why don't we change this? Why don't we adopt the model that physicians use for learning their trade? A physician learns facts in the classroom, and then gets his/her hands dirty in the real world, under tight supervision. The typical pediatrician spends MUCH more time in "on the job training" than in a classroom. Furthermore, they get PAID for this work. So instead of learning useless stuff in college -- our local university required a class that the future teachers dubbed "Color, Cut and Paste" because it was basically about the 'importance' of having pretty bulletin boards up in the classroom -- why don't we switch to an apprenticeship model? Dump the single semester of "student teaching" in favor of three years of a PAID apprenticeship supervised by some of the best teachers. One great teacher could properly supervise three or perhaps four classrooms that are being primarily taught by apprentices. (I'd like to suggest that during the first year, you only teach about half time.) There's nothing really radical here: it's the existing "mentorship" program, expanded far enough to do some real good.