HGSE has welcomed the first cohort of its Teaching and Teacher Leadership (TTL) Master’s degree program. It officially kicks off this groundbreaking new model of teacher education that brings together motivated and experienced educators to learn from each other and form faculty mentors and communities. This first cohort he arrived on campus in July (some cohorts had been together months earlier, but were designed to revitalize readiness for field experiences in school this fall). for an online spring experience). They soon found themselves in Cambridge Harvard, a professional network of mission-driven educators who will take on classroom responsibilities, develop their skills, strengthen their leadership and span their careers beyond their time at HGSE. ready to form. .

One of the defining characteristics of the TTL program is the wide range of educator pathways it offers. First, there is the Teacher Leadership Strand for experienced teachers seeking new roles such as instructional leadership, coaching, or teacher development. (Teacher leaders also contribute research on effective teacher preparation, define the traits that lead to success, and share their results. This is one of the program’s valuable features.) Then: There are teacher-certified strands that offer options for beginning teachers. Between the two approaches to fieldwork experience, both lead to licensure. The Residency Fieldwork model is an innovative classroom immersion in which students begin the fall semester as a half-hour record teacher, making an immediate impact in the classroom. The internship fieldwork model is a more step-by-step approach, increasing teaching responsibilities more slowly.

>> Harvard is committed to supporting new teachers with scholarships donated to make the program affordable.

Taken all together, the power of cohort-based learning is clear. “How do our two groups (teacher leaders and pre-service teachers) learn from each other and how their mutual learning relationships impact their academic programs and year-round experience? It’s already amazing to see how they are growing.” Professor Heather Hill, Professor Co-Chair. “We knew that serving both groups in one program would be a great asset. The skills teacher leaders are developing during the program (providing educational feedback and leading improvement efforts). ) directly benefits licensed students,” she says.

Throughout the personalized pathway, the program is built around practice, mentorship and support. It’s the tool teachers need to succeed in the classroom. “Teaching is a profession that demands a lot and gives a lot. Our program fully supports our students as educators and people. The way we know our strengths and challenges is intrinsically related to how we grow as educators.Our attention to purposeful construction and maintenance of our cohorts is what makes this program so special. It’s one of the things we do,” says Lecturer Victor Pereira, co-chair of the faculty.

>> The Teaching and Teacher Leadership Program builds on the impact of Harvard’s previous efforts in teacher education.

After so much thought and planning, these benefits began to take shape when the cohorts came together this summer. was included. It’s an intensive immersion that immediately provides a real-world experience that will shape their learning throughout her year,” said one of her core faculty members at TTL. One of her Ed.M.’11 lecturers, Beth Simpson, says. Simpson has been a teacher leader and mentor in a variety of school settings. Over the past decade, she has worked closely with undergraduates at her Harvard College, aspiring to teach, and has guided and supported many of them in teaching positions and other educational roles.

We met with students from both areas of the program (Teacher Candidate and Teacher Leader Candidate) to discuss how they got into teaching, how they found TTL, and their hopes for the future of education. Here’s what they shared:

Lyra Bethel
teacher leadership

My hope for the future of education is to create a space where students can be free. Free to think, to be your most authentic self, and to question the status quo. I aim to empower students to disrupt and transform the existing state of social fabric. They create a new narrative in which their identities are recognized, accepted and valued. I know this is a tall order, but what do we have without hope for the future?

Ryan O’Malley
Teaching License Trainee (Biology)

I got interested in education because I hated school for most of my K-12 experience. I could neither sit still nor be silent, and it took me much longer than my peers to grasp new concepts. School was something I wanted to avoid until my freshman year of high school, and my biology teacher changed the way I thought about learning. She presented it as an opportunity and her job was to do all she could to ensure that the students had access to that opportunity. I was excited to go to school for the first time in a long time. Two years after she took her class, I started teaching students in a special education classroom at a local elementary school. There, I was able to incorporate that individualized and empathetic approach into my teaching. I have continued to engage with my college education through special education and early intervention programs and now use the wonderful resources of the TTL program to expand my types of research interests and pursue my high school biology license. I’m here. Moderate obstacles are added. I want my students to know that learning is fun, exciting, and essential to their lives by ensuring that they have access to materials and by giving them agency to take charge of their own experiences in teaching. I would like to show

ivy
teacher leadership

After graduating from university, I got a clerical job at a general company. I left feeling pretty empty each day. When the office closed and she was offered a transfer to the Florida Panhandle, a friend instead offered her the opportunity to teach in a different setting for Lynn, repeating her eighth grade. I said OK because I didn’t understand how it would change my life. It is such an honor to be with young people all day long, to be a part of their learning journey and to be part of their lives. Teaching is nothing less than magic, an amazing way to earn a living and exist in this world. I felt so alive when I went to work every day and knew I had found my purpose.

The TTL program appealed to me because I have taught in districts with both good and incompetent teachers. We understand how schools, communities and students are impacted by both. I want to be part of the positive impact that great leaders have on young people, not just in the classroom, but beyond.

Tim George
Licensed Teaching Intern (Mathematics)

I studied International Relations in college, but during the summer I hosted a bike tour for high school students with a company called Overland Summers. It was during that summer that I realized that I loved being with my children. That I was my best self around young people. After college, I switched gears and decided to teach algebra in the South Bronx. … After teaching in New York, I moved to Baltimore and got a job in middle school mathematics. This school solidified my belief that I belonged only to the school. I love the rhythm of his day at school, the silly conversations in his spare time, the antics in the cafeteria, the sports and clubs after school. My teaching career has kept me in this rhythm, or momentum, every day. And i love it.

I believe in relational teaching and a strong relationship with students must precede content and curriculum. In order to know and care for students, there needs to be an establishment of trust and genuine love in the teacher. I hope future educators will share this opinion. To me, the most promising schools are filled with teachers who probably know their students better than they know their content.

Sylvia Chang
Licensed Teaching Intern (Mathematics)

During my undergraduate career with a degree in Mathematical Sciences, I had the opportunity to dabble in many different areas of work. From a data analysis internship to working at a bank, I was exposed to a variety of career possibilities. But the internship that really stuck with me was the one I spent as a STEM instructor. I learned that my personality and interests are the best match for being a teacher. For me, there is a certain joy in helping students recognize the beauty that lies within mathematics and science.

My goal is to teach math to junior high school students. I want to use entertainment to scaffold learning and guide students through edutainment techniques that help build mathematical thinking. Innovating education by helping students develop their interests and strengths is vital.

I am still learning, developing and improving my educational skills. for me, [I chose TTL] To be in an environment where I am surrounded not only by people with similar interests, but also by successful people who push me to be the best I can be. Lots of learning opportunities and resources.