Today I had an opportunity to present about classroom management to the Woodrow Wilson Fellows at Grand Valley State University who will begin their year-long internship student teaching this Fall.  Classroom management is one of the number one topics that most new teachers are concerned about (and veterans as well!).  As I was working on my presentation, I found myself writing pages and pages of ideas I wanted to give these students going into teaching.   I narrowed it down to 12 essential things, and luckily one other presenter could not make it, so I had double the time (which I actually tripled).   Thank you to the Fellows for giving me your attention today, and I hope you took away some helpful information!

I was involved with the Woodrow Wilson Program since last year when I was asked to mentor a Fellow.  A Fellow is a student who is in the program and is going back to college to get their degree in teaching. Most have had other careers (in the STEM fields) and now want to get their teaching degree. My Fellow last year, Rob, did research in the Arctic prior to joining me in the classroom.  It is an accelerated and rigorous program where they can get their teaching degree in around a year (a lot of classes throughout the summers and school year). The Fellows work one year in the classroom under their mentor, the first half of the year teacher assisting and learning how to deal with things such as classroom management, relationship building, lesson planning, instructional delivery, etc. The second half of the year, they start teaching classes until they are doing the main teaching throughout the day.

It was wonderful working with the Woodrow Wilson Program, Rob, and the education professors at GVSU this past year.  I had a chance to really help my Fellow grow throughout the year – the change in him from beginning to end was substantial! I took this role as mentor seriously and wanted to give him all the tools I could to help make him an effective teacher. I am looking forward to hearing about his first classroom and how things go throughout the year.  It is definitely important for new teachers to receive ongoing support.

The best thing about this program is its committment to the high needs population, especially the inner city schools, where my heart is.  By going through this intense program, Fellows must agree to work in a high needs school for at least 3 years. I am passionate about these students having great teachers and this is especially why I love this program!

Last year was the first year the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship was implemented at GVSU, and I value that the professors in the College of Education worked with mentor teachers like myself to help strengthen the program for this year. I will have the opportunity to be a mentor again this year, and when I am gone to various functions as Michigan Teacher of the Year, it will be great to have consistency in the classroom for my students!

Below I have some basic information about this program.  If anyone is thinking about going back to school to get a teaching degree and have a degree in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, this would be a fantastic program for you!

Q: What is the W.K. Kellogg Foundation-Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship?
A: To increase the quantity and strengthen the quality of Michigan math, science, and technology teachers, the WKKF-WW Michigan Teaching Fellowship is creating the equivalent of a National Merit Scholarship for teachers. The Fellowship, which was first made available for students entering graduate programs in the summer of 2011, offers recent graduates and career changers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) a stipend of $30,000 to complete a specially designed, cutting-edge master’s in teaching degree program, in exchange for a commitment to teach for three years in high-need secondary urban or rural schools.

The schools, along with university partners, will provide mentoring and support throughout the three-year Fellowship period. The Fellowship is administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and is funded with a $16.7 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Leadership from the Governor’s office is also a key part of the program.

Q: What makes the WKKF-WW Michigan Teaching Fellowship different from other teacher certification programs?

A: The WKKF-WW Michigan Teaching Fellowship combines several best practices in teacher preparation by bringing together:

• Excellent, paid preparation. The Michigan Teaching Fellowship offers Teaching Fellows a $30,000 stipend to pursue a high-quality master’s degree in teaching and to obtain teacher certification and licensure.
• Immediate impact and ongoing support. Fellows teach in schools with high-need student populations, but also with leadership and support. As soon as they begin teaching, Fellows will receive mentoring from their universities and experienced teacher leaders in their schools or districts.
• Preparation for a successful career in teaching. While WKKF-WW Michigan Teaching Fellows make a three-year commitment to teach in high-need schools, we believe that the high-quality teacher preparation and support the Fellowship provides will position Teaching Fellows for a sustained and successful career in teaching. The Fellowship is not intended to be a short-term Peace Corps-like experience. Rather, it is designed as a launch pad for teacher development and professional growth that will help shape a new generation of outstanding educators and teacher leaders in Michigan classrooms.
• Highly selective admission. The WKKF-WW Michigan Teaching Fellowship seeks to increase the quality of teaching candidates, not just the quantity. As a prestigious pathway to teaching for gifted undergraduates and accomplished career changers, the Fellowship will bring new talent into teaching, elevate the teaching profession, and provide the preparation and ongoing support needed for success in the classroom.
• A new approach to teacher education. The Fellowship is more than a scholarship program. It seeks to transform teacher education while preparing future leaders in the teaching profession. The program will provide participating universities with new resources to develop model teacher education programs that prepare teachers in math and science-related fields. The Woodrow Wilson Foundation will work with these universities in a broad range of areas: redesigning curricula to improve teacher preparation; creating clinical experiences in schools to help teacher candidates succeed with diverse populations; and assessing candidates’ performance in the classroom. In the long term, this approach can lead to the adoption of more rigorous teacher education standards nationwide.

For more information about the program:  http://www.wwteachingfellowship.org/faq/michigan.php