Teacher Residency Program
As school districts across NYS face challenges recruiting classroom ready new teachers and improving instructional practice to benefit student learning, the Classroom Academy model emerged because practitioners know: experience matters. Experience for educators needs to be contextualized, modeled, practiced, and guided by carefully selected, high-quality expert teachers in the communities that the candidates may serve.
The Classroom Academy
The student teaching model of the 1950s, dropping candidates for 40 day placements in districts, can not adequately prepare candidates for a job of this importance or level of complexity. Given the opportunity to be embedded with an expert teacher for two years the Classroom Academy provides a 500% increase over traditional models of student contact time– which serves to produce classroom ready novices, familiar with the community, the school personnel, the school community, and instructional priorities or curriculum resources used.
The Classroom Academy residency model places Master level candidates (from partner Institutions of Higher Education graduate programs), pursuing initial NYS certification, in a 2 year full-time, paid classroom placement with a carefully matched expert teacher.
Some important facts about the Classroom Academy model:
- It is a 2 year program
- It is for NYS initial certification for Master’s level students
- Currently partnering with The College of Saint Rose for their Master of Science in Early Childhood and Childhood Education program
- Provides a $22,000 living stipend per year to the resident
- Using the NYSED Residency Certificate participants are eligible to be hired and paid as they learn. Upon completion of the program graduates are awarded service credit (based on time co-teaching) toward the required 3 years needed to attain the NYS Professional Teaching Certificate
- The resident is immersed in a school placement with a carefully selected, expert lead teacher to learn, practice, and develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of a classroom ready teacher for the 2 year placement (residents do spend approx. 7 weeks midyear, second year in an alternative grade level and school community with another expert lead teacher involved in the program).
Attending teachers are expert teachers, committed to the principles of accomplished teaching and improving their instructional practice as well as utilizing their expertise to support and mentor the resident. These lead educators are carefully selected and matched to resident candidates. Beyond supporting residents in the classroom everyday, Attending Teachers also join them in a professional learning community, a monthly dialogue to develop a common language to better articulate professional decision making and development of thinking around accomplished instructional practice. This work creates a meaningful shared learning experience for all participants.
How to Join the Teacher residency program
- Apply and be accepted to the Masters in Early Childhood and Childhood Education at The College Saint Rose
- Once accepted, Contact Colleen McDonald, NBCT and Classroom Academy Program Director
- Participate in a scheduled interview with potential Attending Teacher, visit the offered placement, and secure your position.