Teacher program earns national honors

An SIUC graduate teaching program that involves collaboration with local school districts is the recipient of a national educators' award.

The Association of Teacher Educators last month named SIUC's Teaching Fellows Graduate Program a Distinguished Program in Teacher Education. The program, within the College of Education and Human Services, started in January 1999, and places certified graduate students from a variety of teaching programs with mentoring public school teachers in the classroom four days a week for a school year.

There are relatively few programs like this in the nation for graduate students, said Lynn C. Smith, an associate professor in Curriculum and Instruction and the program's director.

The award is the first for the program, and "a reflection on our partners and how closely we do work together and the respect we have for each other," said D. John McIntyre, professor in Curriculum and Instruction and assistant to the dean for teacher education.

Teaching Fellows receive a graduate assistant stipend including a tuition waiver, and most take a graduate school course load of six to nine credit hours per semester. Teaching Fellows may select a one- or two-year program option.

Eighteen students are in the program, which has a professional development school partnership with the Carbondale Elementary School District, Giant City Consolidated School District, Murphysboro Community Unit School District and the Unity Point Community Consolidated School District.