TEACH

The Teachers Evolve And Change with Help pilot initiative in Pennsylvania is an important step toward assuring the future quality of our education profession. TEACH is a collaborative effort of the PA Academy for the Profession of Teaching and Learning and PA National Teacher of the Year.

"Good teachers are to education what education is to all other professions – the indispensable element, the sunlight and oxygen, the foundation on which everything else is built. They are central to assuring excellence and rigor to the educational experience of every young person in America. Yet our present K-12 system is not providing children with high-caliber teachers every year they are in school." Lowell Milken, June, 1999

Goals

• To encourage college students to pursue a teaching career
• To establish a mechanism of support for preservice teachers through a quality mentoring experience with a master teacher
• To evaluate perceptions and public opinion of the teaching profession
• To increase the number of high-quality new teachers that stay in the profession

Projected Outcomes

Master teachers will impact future K-12 Pennsylvania teachers by:

• Inspiring next generation of teachers
• Sharing experiences with preservice teachers
• Presenting positive aspects of a teaching career
• Serving as a resource for preservice teachers
• Developing ongoing relationships with the education departments of state universities
• Fostering opportunities for school district and university collaborations

Benefits to preservice teachers:

• Attendance at Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Forum
• Network permits access to Teaches of the Year
• Award-winning education mentors, Teacher of the Year finalists for pre-service teachers
• Documentation of the student's participation in the mentorship program

Selection criteria:

• GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Desire to positively affect change in K-12 students
• Leadership ability
• Commitment to excellence in education

Implementation Strategies

• Mentors begin working with preservice teachers in the junior year
• Preservice teachers are paired with educators at the state forums
• Mentors contact the preservice teacher at least twice a month
• Mentors and preservice teachers provide feedback to the College of Education Deans twice a year on student progress
• Preservice teacher receives a certificate of program completion for their professional portfolio

Program Requirements

• Attend at least one school board meeting
• Attend at least one PTO meeting
• Develop and implement a technology / curriculum integration project, which demonstrates the use of technology in the curriculum. The project must address one of the state curriculum standards. This project could be completed during the student teaching assignment
• Read and critique an article from a recognized education journal (Phi Delta Kappa, AFT, PSEA, etc.)
• Classroom visitations to a classroom of local school districts and / or the mentor's classroom
• Interview a school administrator about the induction process used with first year teachers as it is being implemented in their school

Partners

• PA Chapter of National State Teacher of the Year (NSTOY)
• PA State System of Higher Education/PA Academy for the Profession of Teaching and Learning
• PA Department of Education
• State System universities
• Pennsylvania K-12 teachers
• State System preservice teachers
• PA State Education Association
• Wachovia

Contact Information

Nikki Salvatico
Former PA State Teacher of the Year
(610) 363-5156

Lois Rebich
Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year

Sandi Sheppard
Assistant Director
PA Academy for the Profession of Teaching and Learning
PA State System of Higher Education
2986 North Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 720-7238
(717) 720-4447 Fax