Programs
The Future Teacher Program is built upon a solid foundation of high impact programming aimed at increasing the retention and graduation rates of our students.
- Future Teachers Summer Institute
- Future Teachers Learning Community
- PRAXIS 1/PPST Preparation
- Undergraduate Research
- Peer and Faculty Mentoring
- Monthly Meetings
- Faculty Engagement
- Excellence in Education School Site Visits
- Action Meetings
- Ambassador’s Program
- 360° School, Community, and Career Engagement
- Early Experiences in Schools
- Organizational Memberships
- Service Learning Projects
- Professional Development
- Study Abroad
- Job Placement Assistance
- Employment and Internship Opportunities
Future Teachers Summer Institute
The Future Teachers Summer Institute is a retention program designed to transition selected populations of declared education majors to the university in a fun learning environment. The institute provides programming and high impact activities related to the field of education and the concepts of leadership and service. Students receive information about PPST/Praxis 1 preparation, study skills, leadership development, team building, self-reflection, and participation in a service learning project. Click here for more information on the 2013 Future Teachers Summer Institute
Future Teachers Learning Community
Incoming freshmen students have the option of joining the Future Teachers non-residential learning community. Participating students attend three classes in a cohort model (Special Education 205; Freshmen Seminar 104; and Introduction to Human Communication 110) and participate in academic and volunteer activities and service learning projects. Assignments in these courses are cross linked to one another and to the overall education career theme.
Praxis 1/PPST Preparation
The College of Education and Professional Studies and the offices of Curriculum and Instruction, Developmental Education, Campus Tutorial Services, and Multicultural Affairs and Student Success collaborate to provide EDUINDP 490- PPST/Praxis 1 preparation classes in Reading, Writing, and Math. This partnership promotes student success through assigned tutors embedded in the classroom who meet weekly with registered students throughout the semester and offers supplemental PPST/Praxis tutoring. FTP offers mock PPST testing, check-out of test preparation books, and a PPST support group.
Undergraduate Research
A growing number of Future Teacher Program students are working on undergraduate research projects in collaboration with College of Education and Professional Studies faculty. The program is actively working to increase the numbers of FTP students involved in undergraduate research. Some of these opportunities are paid research positions and are available to students beginning in their freshman year.
Peer and Faculty Mentoring
The Future Teachers Mentoring Program pairs up incoming FTP students with Peer Mentors and assists sophomore through senior students with identifying mentorship relationships with PK-12 teachers and administrators and university faculty and staff. These partnerships enable students to network and have access to knowledge about the field of education and/or university services and resources.
Monthly Meetings
Future Teacher Program students have a monthly group meeting to connect with program staff, receive time sensitive information, hear presentations from teachers and administrators, and participate in engaging hands on activities related to the field of teaching.
Faculty Engagement
Future Teacher Program students engage with faculty in the College of Education and Professional Studies through their participation in Practicing What We Teach, a program in which college faculty teach a half day in classrooms once per month. FTP students are also given opportunities to partner with participating faculty members for research projects and presentations relating to the Practice What we Teach experience.
College of Education and Professional Studies faculty serve as mentors, undergraduate research advisors, and participate in the Future Teachers Summer Institute as needed.
Excellence in Education School Site Visits
Future Teacher students participate in Excellence in Education school site visits where they travel to schools that are successfully bridging the achievement gap. These visits help to bring theory to practice with first-hand volunteer and observation experiences in schools that excel in serving students from underrepresented populations, lower socio-economic backgrounds, and those residing in school districts where there is a persistent, historic achievement gap present.
Through these experiences, future teachers are exposed to these model schools’ theories, philosophies, and strategies for student success with the goal of successfully promoting passion, creativity, academic rigor, and student engagement in their own future classrooms.
Action Meetings
Future Teacher program students have the opportunity to schedule one-on- one Action Meetings with the director of the program. These half-hour meetings typically take place once per semester. The purpose of the Action Meetings are to align the students’ future educational and career goals with a plan of action that outlines the various personal, professional, and educational activities and professional development opportunities they should consider in order to effectively meet their stated goals.
Future Teachers Ambassadors Program
Future Teacher Program students have opportunities to speak at regional high schools about college, financial aid, decision making, and academic success in an effort to assist high school students in making a decision to attend a higher education institution.
360° School, Community, and Career Engagement
Future Teacher program students engage in multiple service learning projects in schools and related entities, are encouraged to become members of educational associations and organizations, participate in one on one academic and professional advising, and attend education conferences and workshops throughout the state.
