Induction Support for New Teachers
Mentoring and networking are key aspects of the STEP=UP Master's Degree program. Giving students the opportunity to connect the theory they learn through coursework with real-life classroom situations helps prepare pre-service teacher candidates for careers as professional educators.
As part of its efforts to retain outstanding special educators, STEP=UP provides critical supports to new teachers both within and beyond its cohort of graduated students. Graduates of the STEP=UP Master's Degree program benefit from regular induction seminars on the UIC campus, where they connect with experienced educators and fellow graduates to problem-solve real-world issues of practice. STEP=UP has also developed a web-based multimedia Transitioning to Special Education Teaching module for teachers across the country to help them generate ideas and develop additional tools for reasoning about teaching and learning.
Induction Seminars
STEP=UP staff organize two induction seminars each semester for graduates in their first year of teaching. Topics for the seminars are generated based on suggestions and input from recent graduates, and three or four experienced CPS Partner Teachers are usually invited to help lend a voice of experience to the conversation.
Recent induction seminar topics have included: building reading comprehension skills and strategies, communicating and building relationships with family members, creating and managing learning environments, collaboration with other teachers, and a spotlight on recent state and federal education legislation.
STEP=UP graduates receive a small stipend for attending all four seminars in their first year of teaching. They also gain important connections with fellow professionals and access to a rich and interactive dialogue on the nature of special education teaching.
The STEP=UP Transitioning to Special Education Teaching Module
Based on their experiences working with former student teachers and with the growing number of STEP=UP graduates, project directors Dr. Marie Tejero Hughes and Dr. Michelle Parker-Katz felt an unfulfilled need for easily accessible induction supports for new teachers. Together with graduate assistants Peggie Klekotka and Diane Chin, they worked to develop the Transitioning to Special Education Teaching module. This web-based multimedia resource is available around the clock to anyone in the world with an internet connection, and features the voices and experiences of exemplary special educators.
The module focuses on four central themes in special education: Serving Students with Disabilities; Co-teaching, Collaboration and Consulting; Planning and Preparation; and Creating Learning Environments. Visitors can watch videos of practicing teachers, listen to snippets of interviews, download worksheets, forms and lesson plans and access hundreds of links to useful web sites, articles and books.
The module is accessible right here on the STEP=UP website at http://www.uic.edu/orgs/stepup/module
