The NTC staff works with new teachers, providing hands-on assistance from mentor teachers, to make the first years of teaching within the Memphis City Schools a success. The NTC is modeled after the highly respected program at the University of California-Santa Cruz. The goal is to provide intensive, individual support to beginning teachers who might otherwise feel isolated and frustrated given the pressures in today's classrooms. Research shows that this type of strong support is a powerful factor in a new teacher's experience and proves vital in making the first year of teaching -- and the years that follow -- satisfying and effective.

After 14 years at the University of California-Santa Cruz, the program has seen great results. Of the new teachers who participated in the program, 95 percent stayed with teaching after the first few years. Nationally, nearly 50 percent of beginning teachers leave the profession after just a few short years. The NTC at the University of Memphis focuses on support strategies and practices to promote teacher autonomy through the ongoing and recursive processes of self-assessment, inquiry into practice, reflection and planning. In the first year of the program NTC will work with 75 beginning teachers, but new colleagues will be added each year.

Supportive veteran teachers are the key element in the program's success. Beginning teachers will establish special relationships with veteran advisors who will share their stories of success and setbacks. Working together, side-by-side, new teachers will gain real-world insights from experienced colleagues who have seen and done it all.

· New Teacher Advisors - These exemplary veteran teachers are released from their regular classroom positions for work full-time with new teachers, both in and out of the classroom. Advisors meet on-site weekly with new teachers during and after school hours. Advisors observe and coach the new teachers, offer emotional support, assist with short- and long-term planning, design classroom management strategies, teach demonstration lessons, provide curriculum resources, and facilitate communication with the principal.

 

· Seminar Series - A monthly seminar series is designed to build a support network and an ongoing professional dialogue among beginning teachers based on the Tennessee Framework for Evaluation and Professional Growth. Seminars focus on content specific pedagogy, effective practices for working with diverse learners, and literacy.

 

· Release Time - Opportunities for reflection, assessment, observation, curriculum planning and staff development are offered throughout the year.

 

While in the program, beginning teachers will benefit from an ongoing formative assessment cycle -- tracking the teacher's professional growth. Assessments revolve around the teacher's district goals/individual learning plan. A professional portfolio documents the teacher's experience and includes:

· Assessment and Professional Growth - The new teacher works with the advisor to develop professional goals and strategies that will guide their collaborative work. The Professional Growth Plan is revised and modified throughout the year.

 

· Self-Assessment - Self-assessment worksheets are used throughout the year as a self-assessment tool and springboard to create and revise the Professional Growth Plan.

 

· Collaborative Assessment Logs - The new teacher and advisor document weekly successes, challenges, and next steps.

 

· Formal and Informal Observations - Observations are related to the teacher's professional goals and provide objective data for reflection upon practice.

 

· Analysis of Student Work - Student work is analyzed regularly in relation to content standards and is used to guide curriculum planning and professional development for the beginning teacher.

 

A Lifeline for New Teachers

Teachers are amazing people. They inspire us. Motivate us. Help us to dream. Encourage us to soar. On any given day, a teacher influences the lives of 30 to 150 students. Over the span of a career, a teacher will have touched thousands of lives. As educators they are given a precious responsibility, but along with the rich rewards of teaching come difficult pressures and challenges.

The New Teacher Center (NTC) was developed to be a lifeline to information, advice and special counsel in order to foster success in one of the most demanding professions imaginable. NTC, proudly affiliated with the New Teacher Center at the University of California-Santa Cruz, is a source of real encouragement and support for professionals beginning their teaching careers. Supported by a generous grant from the Plough Foundation, The University of Memphis College of Education and the Memphis City Schools (MSC) are dedicated partners in the NTC. This collaboration, led by the University, is comprised of staff development coordinators, teachers (new and veteran), Memphis Education Association representatives, MCS central administration, school principals and community members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"... nearly   50 percent of all new teachers leave the

profession."

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