I thought that the problem with American teacher training was that it was all subject matter and not enough pedagogy or classroom management?
I think that just as in other education the ability to think the right way is more important than subject matter. For example, my kids school has a flexible curriculum - they teach based on what the kids show an interest in. It showcases how teaching actually works. For example, one afternoon my child's teacher approached me to ask about something I have some expertise in because the class was heading in that direction and she knew less than nothing about it. I mean, she had not even the vaguest idea. I gave her a quick lesson, suggested some google terms and three days later my kid told me about an absolutely genius adaptation of the concept that young children could understand. THAT is what they need to teach them at college (or maybe they're just born that way?). Any adult can learn more about a topic than an eight year old could ever want to know in a weekend, but taking that and making it fun, interesting and accessible is the definition of teaching (and managing the class, of course).
