"Fellow Advisors provide
insight into what it is really like to teach in New York Cityand how to make the
transition from your previous career to becoming a teacher." -Joani, 2004
Fellow
Pre-service training is one of
the most exciting—and demanding—elements of the Fellowship program. During
pre-service training, Fellows meet other Fellows in their cohort, NYC Teaching
Fellows program staff, practicing teachers, and current students in New York
City schools.
Training Components and
Schedule Pre-service training for June 2010 Fellows will be an
intensive seven-week program that will begin in mid-June. This training session
includes three main components:
1) Field work in a New York
City summer school classroom; 2) Master's degree
coursework; 3) Student Achievement Framework (SAF) sessions during which
Fellows learn key instructional design and classroom management skills from an
experienced teacher.
The pre-service training program consolidates
a great deal of training time into only a few weeks; thus, training is
extremely demanding. Training sessions typically run Monday –
Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Due to strict New York State guidelines
and the critical role training plays in the Teaching Fellows program, Fellows
cannot miss any component of pre-service training.
Content
Workshops One day per week during pre-service training, Fellows will
participate in half-day workshops specifically designed to develop the skills
and knowledge needed to teach a certain subject area.
Advisors During pre-service
training, each Fellow is assigned a Fellow Advisor (FA), who will lead daily
Student Achievement Framework sessions for small groups of Fellows.
Fellows will also be assigned a
Field Visitor, who visits Fellows in their field training site and provides
ongoing feedback and support to help develop their teaching practice.
Pre-Training Requirements
and Opportunities Prior to the start of summer pre-service training,
all Fellows are required to read a guidebook and complete a short study guide.
Additionally, Fellows are asked to visit a public school classroom and complete
a series of observations.
Special education Fellows are
required to complete a 10-hour online course introducing key concepts for
special educators. Optional opportunities to participate in an observation
program specifically designed for special educators are also
available.
Ongoing
Support
Fellows have access to various
sources of support. Some of this support will come directly from the Fellowship;
however, once Fellows are teaching in their classrooms, their primary sources of
support will come from within their schools and universities.
School-Based
Mentors Like all other new teachers, each Fellow is assigned a
mentor from their school who can model and coach in pedagogical methods. Fellows
meet regularly with their mentors to receive and discuss feedback on their
performance in the classroom.
Professional Development
Opportunities As part of their school communities, Fellows also take
part in staff development opportunities, as well as workshops and professional
development events.
Master’s Program and
University Support In the Master's program, Fellows participate in a
range of courses that help them develop the skills and understand the theories
they need to help their students succeed in the classroom. A university field
advisor also provides monthly classroom observations and feedback on teaching
practices. Click here
to learn more about the Master’s degree.
NYCTF Online
Resources The NYC Teaching Fellows program office seeks to keep
Fellows connected and informed via the publication of a weekly e-newsletter, an
online bulletin board, and a searchable database of Fellow-generated resources
such as lesson plans.