North Carolina Conversations Summer-Fall 2008.pdf

The Teachers InstituteThe Teachers Institute helped remind me why I am a teacher, and because of that, I continue to be one.~Teachers Institute ParticipantThe Teachers Institute isa FREE, interdisciplinary professionaldevelopment program for K–12 NorthCarolina public school teachers.The North Carolina HumanitiesCouncil has completed a comprehensiveassessment of the past ten years(1996-2006) of Teachers Instituteprogramming. Based on evaluationinformation, TI now offers• additional programming forteachers with four weekendseminars during the academicyear and a week-long seminar inthe summer• options for summer seminarparticipants to earn graduatecredit through UNC Greensboro• grant-writing workshops forteachers to provide professionaldevelopment opportunities fortheir own school systemsMajor Impact Evaluation ResultsThe Teachers Institute• is the only professional developmentprogram for teachers in thestate that focuses solely ongraduate-level study andacademic enrichment• addresses teacher retentionissues ~ 60% cite their participationin the Teachers Instituteas a major reason for remainingin education• creates better teaching andclassroom planning ~ 81%report student success withhigher-order thinking skills• prepares teachers to becomeresources for their own faculty~ 90% specify ways they shareInstitute materials and knowledgewith their colleagues• moves teachers forward in theirprofessional growth ~ 40%report work toward additionalcertifications and/or higheracademic degreesAdditional FindingsBetween 1996 and 2006, the TeachersInstitute has reached over 600educators in 72 NC school districts.Participating teachers have, in turn,shared resources and ideas withtheir colleagues and have enrichedthe curriculum for a vast number ofstudents.Teachers Institute participant Kim Locklear(Robeson Co. Schools) looks on as LendellWayne (Lenoir Co. Schools) shares a newsarticle highlighting their summer seminarexperience at Somerset Place in Creswell, NC.Photo by Jennifer McCollum.Teachers Institute Participant CountiesTeachers Institute Sites22 • North Carolina Humanities Council