In just five months, 17 Kenan Master Teaching Fellows have shared proven techniques, best practices and innovative classroom lessons with more than 160 beginning teachers across southeastern North Carolina counties.
The Fellows are all part of a five-year program provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program that links experienced teachers with local universities, school systems and community colleges to assist in the preparation of new teachers. Since April, Kenan Master Teaching Fellows have coordinated a series of workshops that have reached students who are studying to enter the classroom as well as those who are just beginning their educational careers.
The professional learning sessions taught by the Master Teaching Fellows have provided attendants with access to the latest and best educational resources but most importantly the teachers have offered insights and guidance that can only be shared by veterans in the field. Through a partnership with LearnNC, the Master Teaching Fellows have completed a course on virtual teaching and have plans to launch an online professional development course for beginning teachers.
The region covered by the Fellows includes Cumberland, Harnett, Moore, Hoke, Lee, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland counties.
The Master Teaching Fellows have workshops scheduled through November. The following is a roundup of the sessions and their locations:
• April 4: Fellows Mildred Bankhead-Smith, Jennifer Kearney and Stefanie Phillips, who are all educators in Moore County, partnered with education professors at St. Andrews to offer a two-and-a-half hour session for college students in the university’s education degree program.
• April 19: Fellows Helen Walker, Constance Russell and Dora Barron, who are all Cumberland County eductators, conducted a workshop during the 2013 Excellence in Teaching Mini Conference at Fayetteville State University.
• May 29: Fellow Alex Constas, a teacher on Fort Bragg, presented to a group of student and beginning teachers at the Noyce National Conference in Washington, D.C.
• July 16-17: Fellows Helen Walker, Constance Russell and Dora Barron conducted two days of professional development for a group of educators with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) on Fort Bragg.
• Aug. 6: Fellows Mildred Bankhead-Smith, Jennifer Kearney and Stefanie Phillips led a professional workshop attended by 89 beginning teachers for Moore County Schools.
• Aug. 8: Fellows Helen Walker, Constance Russell and Dora Barron offered a learning session to new teachers in Cumberland County.
• Aug 14: Fellows Fred Morris, Talia Swiney ─ both Richmond County teachers ─ and Carrie Brewington, an instructional coach at NC Department of Public Instruction, offered practical teaching techniques to first-year teachers during orientation for Richmond County Schools.
• Aug. 20: Fellows Sharon Stephens, Sandre Lane and Pam Hedgepeth, all Scotland County educators, are giving a presentation in Scotland County.
Upcoming Presentations
• Sept. 5 and once a month through November: Fellows Jennifer Jones, Alex Constas and Tara Nye will present workshops at Methodist University in Fayetteville.
*Photo by Amneris Solano: Fellows Talia Swiney and Carrie Brewington helped Richmond County Schools offer guidance to its first year teachers during orientation for the 2013-14 school year.