When preparing for a lifelong career, six weeks or a semester of on-the-job training doesn’t sound like much. Likewise, for most K-12 teachers, the brief period of student teaching might not be enough preparation to be able to walk into their first classroom as an effective educator.
Supply and demand entered a critical stage in recent years when thousands of teachers were rushed into the workforce with minimal experience and support. It was during this time in 2011 that Texas Tech University decided to transform its teacher training program.
TechTeach, introduced by the College of Education dean, Scott Ridley, is modeled after iTeach, Arizona State University’s teacher prep program, which Ridley also designed.
The innovative program partners with public school districts giving TechTeach candidates an entire year in the classroom before they even graduate from college.
Expert
Doug Hamman, professor and chairman of the Department of Teacher Preparation, College of Education, (806) 834-4113 or [email protected]
Quotes
- “In the classroom, both adults can work together and use achievement data from their children to figure out the best way to split up the class or work together and complement each other. If a mentor teacher has a small number of children who are having trouble, the teacher candidate can take over that group for exclusive help.”
- “The teacher candidates must teach at one of our approved sites because, essentially, the College of Education is taking responsibility, saying we will make sure our participants are much more prepared for their first day of teaching in their own classrooms.”
- “By establishing the Department of Teacher Preparation, we made reform our culture.”
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