Fine-tuning skills from beginning teachers through administrators
By E. Rose Scarff, Contributing Writer
Salisbury University’s Seidel School of Education works closely with
the schools they partner with to be sure each school’s needs are being
met. They also monitor the students they send to each school so student
teachers are exposed to the best possible learning experiences.
“Our student teachers are sent out to the schools for student teaching
in their first semester in either a middle or high school classroom,”
says Laurie Henry, Ph.D., dean of the Seidel School of Education at
Salisbury. They are not there to observe the teachers at work. “The
focus is on helping in the classroom rather than observing,” says
Henry. “Students are taking foundation courses at the same time and
come back to the classroom with insight and questions.” This enables
students to ascertain if teaching is the right career path for them
before they are too far along in the program.
“Throughout their time at Salisbury they are working in the schools
with mentor teachers,” says Henry. “We have a reciprocal relationship
with the schools we partner with. This not only helps our student
teachers, but we provide professional development for teachers at the
schools depending on their needs.” This derives from the nine
essentials required of both parties in a Professional Development
School (PDS) relationship. (See sidebar.)
Salisbury has PDS relationships with 40 schools in seven counties. This
gives their education students a wide range of experience while they
are getting their degree. “In the spring of their senior year they
spend the entire semester teaching full-time in the area of their
choice,” says Henry.
Throughout their time at Salisbury, these student teachers also have
the opportunity to attend the National Association for Professional
Development Schools (NAPDS) conferences along with faculty. Both have
the opportunity to present papers there.
In 2018 Salisbury student Shelby Ennis received the organization’s
Emerging PDS Leader Award. She is a senior elementary and early
childhood education major and was chosen from nine finalists for their
service to the organization and their school’s PDS program. This is the
fifth time a student at Salisbury has won this honor in the past
decade. Since 1991, 90 Teachers of the Year have been alumni of
Salisbury.
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a recent $1.4 million
grant from the National Science Foundation for Improving Undergraduate
Science Education (IUSE) will focus on teaching and learning in
biology. This work will be done over a five-year period in
collaboration with community colleges in the area: Anne Arundel
Community College, Baltimore County Community College, Howard County
Community College and Montgomery County Community College.
