Spotlight On: Teacher Preperation

The Teacher Preparation Program 

Post by: Val Flanders & Jennifer Strong-Rain

Program Mission and Basics
Mission Statement- The mission of the Teacher Preparation Program is to advance the quality of private and public education by training student teachers who pursue post-secondary education and who are sensitive to the needs of individual students, can plan and teach developmentally appropriate curriculum, and can manage classrooms confidently and effectively.
Program Basics- The Teacher Preparation Program is designed to train students who are interested in teaching students from preschool through high school. Students learn quality teaching practices that can be used with students of and age and in any setting. Students in Teacher Preparation become skilled at teaching children of various abilities and ages through a combination of learning about educational theory and practicing hands-on application.

History
The Teacher Preparation Program has grown and expanded over the past 30 years. The program was originally called Child Care and was intended to train students to work as assistant teachers in child care facilities. Over the years, the program underwent several name changes like Early Childhood Education, Foundations of Education, and Exploring Teaching while the curriculum continued to change as well. Rather than focusing on training students to assist with young children, we have expanded the focus to training classroom teachers in grades preschool through twelfth grade. Because of this change, more of our students than ever attend colleges to earn Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Secondary Education.

Current Curriculum
Students in the Teacher Preparation Program learn about curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Specific competencies include classroom management, how the brain operates, history of education, educational theorists, social issues students face, special education, differentiated instruction, and teaching with technology. Students in the program are assessed on their understanding of the theory of teaching and their ability to imement this knowledge into the practice of teaching.

College Credits
The Teacher Preparation Program has a Dual Enrollment agreement with Southern New Hampshire University. Students in the first year of the program can earn 3 college credits for SNHU's EDU 200: Intro to Education Course.

Teaching Experiences
Year One
Students in the first year of the program student teach in our lab school, Crimson Tide Preschool. Students spend about half of their time student teaching in the preschool. They are in charge of teaching lessons to small and large groups of preschoolers. During the first year, students teach formal lessons in Math and Literacy. Students also gain skills when they work with the preschoolers during centers, obstacle course, library time, choice time, and meal time.
Year Two
All students in the second year of the program complete an internship. This is when students get to customize their program by selecting the grade level they want to work with during internship. Some examples of where current students are interning are with an elementary art teacher, a speech and language pathologist, an eighth grade science teacher, a fifth grade teacher, and a second grade teacher. Second year students have the option of completing an internship in an elementary classroom AND continuing to teach in the preschool or just completing an internship in an elementary, middle, or high school classroom. These internships range in length from 12-24 weeks. Students believe that the internship is the highlight of their Teacher Preparation experience.

Facility
The Teacher Preparation Program and Crimson Tide Preschool are currently located in Abbot-Downing School in Concord, NH. Abbot-Downing is one of the brand new elementary schools and is equipped with the most current technology and equipment. This location gives the Teacher Preparation students a true understanding of the day to day operations of an elementary school. Students also have had the opportunity to work with the elementary students and to observe elementary teachers instruct.

Technology Integration
Students in both years of the Teacher Preparation Program are learning how to teach and assess using technology. First year students use the ENO board to teach. This is an interactive whiteboard used to engage children in the learning experience. The students use software to create their own unique Math and Literacy lessons.
Second year students are issued an iPad that they are able to use in class, on internship, and at home. They use the iPad to support their own learning through journaling, research, and compiling a digital portfolio. The students use a variety of apps to teach and assess the children on their internship sites and in the lab preschool.

Career Opportunities
The Teacher Preparation Program prepares students to pursue a degree in a variety of careers in the field of education. Some of the careers that our graduates have entered are elementary education, special education, school guidance counseling, early childhood education, psychology, social work, middle and high school education, and speech and language pathology.

Most of our graduates go on to four year colleges to pursue a Bachelor's Degree. Current seniors have been accepted into a variety of colleges including SNHU, UNH, Springfield College, Keene State,

Crimson Tide Preschool
Crimson Tide Preschool (CTP) is the lab for Teacher Preparation students. There are between approximately 15 children who attend CTP. These children are between the ages of 3 and 5 years. The children come from Concord and the surrounding towns. Four of the preschoolers have special education needs and are placed in the preschool by Concord School District. CTP is open from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday from September to June. The preschool is staffed by a preschool teacher and an assistant teacher.

A.C.E. Club
The Assisting Children Everywhere club runs in conjunction with the Teacher Preparation Program. This is a community service based club and is new this year. Students in the club have raised money to buy less fortunate children holiday gifts, run a children's clothing drive, and assisted a Title I reading program. This club will continue to grow and develop in the coming years.