“Plant blindness” is defined as the failure to appreciate the fundamental importance of plants. To address this phenomenon, we created the Pet Plant Project (P3) where students grow an unknown plant from seed, monitor development, and relate lecture concepts to their plant on a daily basis. A qualitative survey was administered and analyzed to evaluate student responses to the experience. Themes in the analysis, identified across 209 student-participants at Tennessee Tech University, included positive reinforcement of lecture material, a new-found appreciation for plants, responsibility and pride related to plant care, a continued desire to grow plants, and more. Statistical results included: 73% of students noticed plants more after the project; 76% planned to grow plants in the future; and 68% made a connection with their own plant that bolstered engagement in course materials.

New studies show that the instructional effectiveness of preservice candidates and their cooperating teachers are positively related. However, we neither know if these relationships are causal nor, assuming they are, if it is possible to significantly increase the instructional effectiveness of the cooperating teacher pool. In this study, we randomly assign districts to receive recommendation lists (generated using administrative data) for the recruitment of more promising cooperating teachers. Districts receiving lists recruited significantly more effective/experienced cooperating teachers, while candidates placed in these districts felt significantly better prepared to teach. As a result, this study offers an innovative, low-cost strategy for recruiting effective/experienced cooperating teachers and presents the first causal estimates that more effective/experienced cooperating teachers improve candidates’ preparedness to teach.

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