Whitman Elementary - Tulsa Public Schools

• Special education: special education certification plus one or more core secondary subjects,
elementary education or early childhood education
• Math: Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, Math Analysis, Advanced Math, Intermediate Math,
Statistics, Trigonometry
• Biological Science, Anatomy/Physiology, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Earth Science,
Physical Science, Physics
II.
Induction of Teachers
The District’s induction programs are the TFA induction programs and the New Teacher Center.
Teach for America: Before they start teaching, each new TFA corps member attends an
intensive five-week summer training institute—a working summer school—in one of nine locations
across the United States. (Beginning in the summer of 2012, Tulsa will host one of TFA’s summer
training institutes, which is a prized accomplishment.) The institute’s training is designed to help corps
members learn essential teaching frameworks, curricula and lesson planning skills. Corps members work
with experienced teachers who observe and coach them to improve their skills quickly throughout the
summer. By the end of institute, corps members have developed the knowledge, skills, and mindsets
needed to be effective beginning teachers, made an immediate impact on students, and built
relationships that will support them throughout their corps experience.
At the training, corps members teach summer school for four of five weeks and help their
students master critical content for the fall. Corps members teach summer school students for an
average two hours each day and are observed by experienced teachers. For one of the two hours, they
lead an entire class to master academic content, and build their own skills in delivering lessons and
managing a classroom. For the other hour, most corps members work with four to five students to build
skills in math and reading and gain experience in leading group work.
TFA instructional coaches observe each corps member several times a week. They provide
written feedback and discuss areas for development, working with corps members to create concrete
plans to increase student learning and develop teaching knowledge and skills. Veteran district teachers
partner with TFA coaches to provide regular feedback throughout the summer. Corps members meet in
small groups that provide a supportive yet challenging space to practice teaching new lessons, react to
classroom management dilemmas, discuss feedback they’ve received, and analyze student progress.
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