EdNews - Spring 2008
A Publication of the College of Education at Florida State University
FSU-Teach Welcomes First Class of Students
Photo: FSU President T.K. Wetherell makes statements to the media at the announcement of funding and implementation of the FSU-Teach program on November 14.
Throughout the Spring 2008 semester, a new FSU program has been introducing students to life in the science or mathematics classroom. This program, called FSU-Teach, goes into full operation in Fall 2008. Students will have the opportunity to enroll in this cutting-edge approach to teacher preparation in science and mathematics.
The new program offers students the chance to achieve a double major -- one in a content area (like biology or mathematics) and one in science or mathematics teaching -- in just four years. The course SCE 4939: Exploring Science and Mathematics Teaching gives students the chance to be introduced to the program and teaching, in general. As an incentive for students, tuition for this course and a second course in the program is paid by the program for all students.
FSU-Teach is an innovative approach to math and science education, modeled after the University of Texas’ UTeach program which just celebrated its tenth year and has successfully increased the number and retention of qualified math and science teachers in the state of Texas. UTeach will provide leadership to FSU, and the other 11 colleges and universities from around the country who received support to develop programs of this nature, throughout the early stages of implementation. UTeach has doubled the number of University of Texas at Austin students graduating with math and science teacher certification. Eighty percent of UTeach graduates who entered teaching four years ago still are teaching, compared with a four-year retention rate of 60 percent nationally. Funding and implementation of FSU’s program was announced at a news conference in November.
Supported by more than $5 million in grant money from national organizations -- the National Math and Science Initiative and the Helios Foundation -- and state matching funds, one of the foundations of the program is to give freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to explore teaching as a career. As students progress through the program, they enroll in coursework that allows them to complete the double major in their content area of study and in teacher preparation. So, students are prepared to pursue a career in the teaching profession or in a non-education profession related to their field of science or math.
In addition to the double major, students also participate in K-12 teaching experiences that allow them to receive feedback from mentor and master teachers who are a part of the support system offered by FSU-Teach. These mentor and master teachers are highly experienced classroom teachers who assist FSU-Teach students with the pedagogical aspects of teaching, as well as provide valuable insight into current issues facing teachers in classrooms today. Students have the unique opportunity to plan lessons and teach them in a local school during their very first FSU-Teach course. This allows students to “try out” teaching to see if it is a viable career choice for them early in their college experience. As the first two courses are free to students (see above), the only investment is their time and attention.
The program is structured to provide a unique environment of support for its students. They are able to form a close community in which they can share experiences of college life through many special university resources devoted to them. Special work opportunities and scholarships will be available for FSU-Teach students. FSU-Teach provides this network even after graduation as part of its teacher induction program. Graduates will receive continued support through face-to-face and/or online, regularly scheduled professional development aimed at helping them adjust to professional life as a science or math teacher.
(Barry Ray in FSU's Office of News and Public Affairs contributed to this story.)
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