The Tomorrow’s Teachers Today program at Indiana University East is designed to identify, encourage, and prepare individuals in one’s local community who are interested in becoming an educator or educational professional. The IU East School of Education and local school districts work together to create a pipeline of future educators that will meet local school staffing needs and shortages.
Some of the highlighted features and advantages of this program include:
- Students will be taught by School of Education faculty through a blended format that includes on-campus meetings as well as meetings in local high schools.
- Students will participate in school-based field experiences. These are hands-on and intentionally sequenced in P-8 classrooms that are coordinated and supervised by district educators and integrated into IU East education courses.
- Students will experience hands-on engagement activities on campus where they’ll build community and network to gain a better understanding of the profession.
The Tomorrow’s Teachers Today program matches students interested in education with the resources to help them launch their career earlier. This program is currently running in several area high schools. Courses can be utilized for dual-credit purposes and as part of a graduation pathway.
Program components
IU East education courses
- Four pre-professional education courses taught by IU East Education faculty through a combination of in-district, virtual, and on-campus class sessions.
- One course per semester, over two years (high school junior and senior years).
- School districts may utilize these for dual-credit purposes.
- On-campus orientation before classes begin in the fall.
School-based field experiences
- Structured field experiences are completed in the districts’ schools and classrooms.
- Experiences are one part of the education course and are coordinated with course content, standards, and assignments.
On-campus engagement activities
- Students participate on-campus events/activities each semester.
Learning objectives for participating high school students:
Through career exploration and discovery, mentoring, extra-curricular activities, observations and experiential learning in P-12 classrooms, and Education-focused coursework, Tomorrow’s Teachers Today will develop knowledge and skills in the five areas below.
- Understanding the profession: Tomorrow’s Teachers Today participants will learn about the profession, explore grade levels and areas of specialty, and understand the college preparation and licensing process to inform their decision about pursuing a career as an educator.
- Understanding the learning process and individual differences: Tomorrow’s Teachers Today participants will learn about the process of teaching and learning and develop an understanding of individual differences among students across various grade levels and from various backgrounds.
- Developing and sustaining relationships: Tomorrow’s Teachers Today participants will learn communication skills and professional behaviors to interact with fellow future educators, P-12 teachers and administrators, and university faculty and staff.
- Planning, instruction, and evaluation: Tomorrow’s Teachers Today participants will learn to engage in thoughtful planning, use effective strategies to promote learning, and assess student progress and growth.
- Reflective practice and professional growth: Tomorrow’s Teachers Today participants will learn to use reflection to develop an understanding of oneself as a future educator and advance professional knowledge and skills.
Sound like something your district needs?
If you’re interested in exploring a partnership with the IU East School of Education, please contact the dean, Jerry Wilde, Ph.D., at 765-973-8554 or jwilde@iu.edu.