Students in North Carolina's science pedagogy course do an experiment as lecturer Alice Churukian looks on.

 

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project Report 2009

Induction & Mentoring

Our first physics teacher graduated in May 2009 and we therefore have no induction or mentoring activities to report to date.

Induction and Mentoring Appendix

We built an extensive induction program into the grant proposal that has been funded by the US Department of Education’s Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow program. The description below is taken from that grant proposal.

We conceptualize support for our graduates as a career-development continuum, leading to National Board Certification as exemplary mathematics and science teachers.  UNC-BEST initiates our teachers’ preparation for National Board Certification during the student teaching internship by aligning our performance-based assessments strategies with those used by the National Board.  The induction program has three components: 1) providing resources to all graduates to support them in delivering effective instruction, 2) establishing a supportive network of mentors and UNC-BEST colleagues, and 3) providing graduates with an array of professional development opportunities

Among the resources we will provide teachers with are online curriculum modules designed by students in the UNC-BEST content-area pedagogy courses. These modules include inexpensive, inquiry-based lesson plans aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, discussions of the science content including cutting-edge research findings, literacy resources, and student assessments.

UNC-BEST graduates will have access to a rich network of mentors and peers for collegial support. Through the Learn NC mentoring program they will be paired with mentors who are experts in their subject matter and who have effectively mentored teachers in their own school systems. In addition, a new program in the School of Education called Carolina Teachers’ Connection will pair graduates with a UNC School of Education alumni who can provide mentoring on a one-to-one basis. A UNC-BEST page will also be created and maintained in the popular social networking site Facebook.com so graduates can remain connected and offer support to one another. Finally, the newsletter will maintain an up-to-date list of the schools where UNC-BEST graduates are employed to maintain connections within and between cohorts.

The newly-developed Center for Teaching Quality Leadership Center for Mathematics and Science Teachers (LC-MaST) will provide UNC-BEST teachers with National Board Certified teachers who will act as virtual coaches to support and guide them during the process of obtaining National Board Certification. Through innovative online platforms, LC-MaST taps the strengths of North Carolina’s National Board Mathematics and Science Certified Teachers (NBCTs) to build abilities and leadership among practicing mathematics and science teachers and assist them in achieving National Board Certification.

UNC-BEST, working with centers within the School of Education, will provide multiple professional development opportunities for graduates. The UNC-BEST newsletter will inform graduates of upcoming professional development opportunities offered by centers in the School of Education.  The Carolina Center for Educational Excellence (CCEE), an outreach arm of the School of Education, and Learn NC both offer a range of courses and programs through both distance learning and face-to-face instruction. The Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE) (also housed in the School of Education) works with North Carolina teacher leaders, UNC faculty, and district officials to offer professional development to K-12 mathematics and science teachers. The CMSE offers online courses and a rich slate of professional development activities each summer in the Statewide Institutes in Teaching Excellence (SITE) program.