The summer institute was a great challenge; the days were long and the work was intense.  There is a lot of information that you have to learn in a short period of time and it is hard being in front of your own class for the first time.  The staff as well as the cohort has all been very supportive and helpful over the summer as well as throughout the school year.  You develop good friendships over the summer, and these friends become a great support system that lasts throughout your career as a teacher.                              

- 2009 Special Education Fellow

Your commitment to your new career as a Teaching Fellow begins with an intensive summer Training Institute designed specifically for this accelerated route to teaching program. Summer training is one of the most exciting – and demanding – aspects of this selective program. Candidates accepted into the Rhode Island Teaching Fellows program begin their commitment with a rigorous six-week Training Institute beginning around early July 2010.  The Training Institute includes:

• A practice teaching assignment in a Rhode Island classroom, with an opportunity to observe, lesson plan, and gradually lead classroom instruction with on-site guidance from experienced teachers
• Framework Sessions with experienced educators, designed to delve into a curriculum focused on student standards, foundations of teaching, classroom management, and other skills necessary to become an effective teacher in a high-need school
• Discussions and activities about the challenges and benefits of teaching in a diverse, high-need, urban educational setting
• An opportunity for networking with other Fellows who have made the same commitment to improve the quality of education for Rhode Island’s school children

The Training Institute consolidates a great deal of training time into only a few weeks; thus, training is extremely demanding. Fellows must attend training five days a week from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. During Training Institute Fellows are held to very high expectations to ensure that they are able to meet the rigorous pace and demands of being a first year teacher in a high-needs school.  Fellows must meet program expectations throughout Training Institute in order to graduate from Institute and receive their alternative certification.  Fellows do benefit from a great deal of support from program staff, instructors and their cohort of Fellows. 

All dates are subject to change, but the Training Institute is expected to run from June or July 2010, until shortly before the start of the school year. Due to the critical role that training plays in preparing Teaching Fellows for success in the classroom, Fellows cannot miss any portion of the Institute. Fellows will not start receiving their teaching salary until the start of the school year, so all Fellows should prepare themselves financially for this transition. However, while Fellows will be responsible for covering licensure-related costs, the Institute has no tuition costs, and all Fellows will receive stipends of $2,000 pre-tax upon successful completion of training, to help defer the cost of living.

For more information on Fellows’ accelerated route to certification, please view the Certification page.