The thesis of this article is that the external demands placed on teacher education at the present time, combined with inherent professional needs of teachers and student teachers, create a nearly impossible situation for teacher educators. The article starts with a brief analysis of some of the external demands and constraints on teacher education: globalization, professionalization, and the call of many experts to teach for understanding. These external demands are exacerbated by teachers’ needs for certainty and control, and the frequent gaps between teachers’ professional self-images and the demands of their teaching contexts also contribute to the complexities of the role of teacher educators. The article concludes with a discussion of the societal implications of the current situation.
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