Teaching Fellows join a cohort of dedicated new teachers, forming a network for sharing resources and best practices for years to come. A new teacher’s first year is particularly challenging, and Teaching Fellows should anticipate long hours and intense effort, especially during the first semester. As Fellows work in high-need schools, often with limited resources, candidates are chosen for their ability to solve problems creatively and independently— an important factor in their success.

As new teachers, Fellows have access to resources at their school site and with the district. Many teachers find their colleagues at their school sites to be a primary source of ongoing knowledge and best practices. In addition, one important source of ongoing connection and professional growth for Fellows is the network of other Fellows in their cohort. Fellows will form close relationships through the Training Institute, and summer training events will facilitate connections especially among Fellows who will be teaching the same subject areas. New Teaching Fellows can draw on these connections as a resource for planning, reflection, and shared encouragement as they strive for excellence in their individual classrooms during their first year in the classroom, as well as for the years ahead.

Upon entering the program and the classroom, the RITF office assists with logistical support, such as helping Fellows to manage the process of becoming full district employees and enrolling in our certification program (see below for more information), and keeping Fellows informed through periodic program emails and newsletters. Fellows may also have the opportunity to attend special events and social gatherings throughout the year. However, the Fellows program office is not intended to provide comprehensive ongoing classroom support. Although every situation is different, Fellows may collaborate with co-teachers at their school, district instructional specialists, assistant principals, principals or a grade- or subject-level team. Although districts and schools work hard to offer a range of support services to all new teachers, they sometimes face resource limitations that may hinder these services. As a result, Fellows often find that the most important avenue of ongoing support comes from both within their school community and from other new Fellows who are experiencing similar successes and struggles. The most successful new educators proactively reach out to maximize these resources – collaborating, observing excellent teachers, and constantly refining their practice.

Without a doubt, [the greatest asset of being in the Teaching Fellow program has been] the added confidence and scaffolding [in place to support] me in my first year, not only in teaching, but in Rhode Island.

– 2009 Math Fellow

Certification Through the Practitioner Teacher Program

Fellows will participate in the Practitioner Teacher Program (PTP), Rhode Island’s accelerated alternate route to certification program while teaching full-time. Rather than completing a traditional teacher education program prior to entering the classroom, Fellows first engage in an intensive Summer Training Institute that is specifically designed for Rhode Island Teaching Fellows and is free of cost, before then completing additional academic certification requirements while teaching full-time. This allows Fellows to become highly qualified in the state of Rhode Island while teaching and earning a full salary and benefits.  The tuition for the year long content seminars, that take place while a Fellow is in their first year of teaching, was $6,000 for 2009 Fellows.  Refer to Salary and Benefits page for more information. 

Alternative Route Program Certificate
All enrolled Teaching Fellows who successfully complete the summer Training Institute and secure a teaching position will be granted a Alternative Certification Program Certificate (ACPC) by the Rhode Island Department of Education. This certificate was created to allow outstanding individuals with no previous education coursework the opportunity to teach while participating in an alternate route certification program. Individuals with this certificate are considered “highly qualified” in accordance with No Child Left Behind guidelines.

Content Seminars
Content seminars constitute the bulk of the PTP support structure and are a significant component of Fellows’ certification requirements. The seminars are designed to help Fellows learn how to become skilled in content pedagogy and classroom management while maintaining a classroom culture focused on student achievement.

Content seminar groups are organized by content area and, when possible, grade level. Each group is led by a Content Seminar Leader (CSL), who is an experienced educator versed in the Rhode Island Grade-Level and Grade-Span Expectations as well as the Teaching for Student Achievement Framework. Content seminar groups typically meet twice a month for three hours at a time. Each Content Seminar Leader sets specific meeting times and locations at the beginning of the school year. Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded by CSLs. The substance of each content seminar varies from meeting to meeting and by content seminar group. CSLs will ensure that you are learning to become a skilled teacher through combining theory, practice, and reflection.

Like a typical university course, you will be responsible for completing content seminar assignments. These assignments typically include scholarly or applied readings in your subject matter area, developing lesson plans utilizing seminar learnings, and presenting case studies of classroom challenges and successes. Content seminar assignments usually involve completing work you would ordinarily do to prepare for classroom instruction and typically take one to two hours to complete.

Earning a Rhode Island Professional Educator Certificate
At the end of their first year of teaching, upon successful completion of all program requirements, state testing requirements and recommendation for certification, Fellows will be eligible for the Rhode Island Professional Certificate.

While the Teaching Fellows program helps Fellows connect the pieces to earn their teaching certificate, it is the Fellow’s responsibility to meet certification program requirements. All Fellows formally commit to working towards and completing their certification requirements when accepting their offer to join the Teaching Fellows program.

Want to learn more? Join us for an Information Session.