NJCU Teacher in Training Program Begins Third Year

The NJCU Teacher in Training Program (TIP) will begin its 3rdyear this fall in 4 Jersey City Charter Schools. Beginning in 2015, TIP is a multifaceted initiative that includes work experiences, professional development, service, and research for College of Education (COE) students.The program’s purpose is to create a paid working opportunity for education majors in an effort to gain real-life teaching experiences in existing classrooms.  Teacher Interns are paired with experienced, in-service teachers working alongside them throughout the school year.  

COE students majoring in early childhood, elementary and secondary education make up this year’s TIP cohort of 29 interns. They will work in University Academy Charter High School, Soaring Heights Charter, Learning Community Charter, and The Ethical Community Charter Schools. Interns will be working in classroom settings ranging from prekindergarten through 12thgrade covering English, Math, Science, History, Art, Physical Education, Preschool and General Education. New this year is a TIP partnership with the Robert B. Noyce Scholars and the NJCU Department of Health Sciences. 

The interns become a part of the school’s fabric. They are quickly welcomed and included in all aspect of the school’s culture. Interns begin by participating in the schools’ back-to-school orientation days. This year, we were especially fortunate to be included in the Charter School Alliance Luncheon on August 29th, which was a fantastic opportunity for our interns to network and hear Jimmy Casas (https://jimmycasas.com) motivate them with a message about a passion to learn. Casas was the 2012 Iowa Principal of the Year who also was invited to the White House to speak on the Future Ready Pledge. 

Interns also took part in a one-day NJCU orientation where returning and new participants gathered. The day included an informative panel session, working groups, and activities to promote collegiality and collaboration amongst the cohort. For example, first year interns were paired with returning interns in a “big brother-big sister” style model to create another resource for them. They also spent time creating specific projects for their respective schools. The orientation ended with a teambuilding activity at an escape room.

Each charter school has one lead intern who acts as a resource for other interns, the heads of school and TIP program director. Through a distributed leadership model, lead interns are positioned to deliver messages, troubleshoot, organize tutoring and mentoring programs for Prek-12 students, and grow as leaders in a professional nature. In essence, they are situated to help cultivate a community of learners within the program. Incoming lead interns are Kelly Sweeney (Secondary Ed./English), Dagoberto Meza (Secondary Ed./Science), Andrea Fonseca (Secondary Ed./English), and Fred Benitez (Education/Art).

Lead interns also facilitate a professional development series for program participants throughout the year. They meet with the director to help plan and implement the monthly meetings. Additionally, they will be presenting a panel discussion, Quality Partnerships though the University-School Connection: Developing Highly Effective Teachers through the Teacher Training Program at the October 11thNew Jersey Charter School Association Conference in Newark, NJ. Their proposal was accepted over hundreds that were submitted. 

Teacher interns are able to receive Cooperative Education credits for their participation in the program.  If you are a full time COE student with a 3.0 gpa and would like more information about TIP, please contact Dr. Michelle Rosen, Program Director at mrosen@njcu.edu.