Peabody Professional Institutes

Beginning Teachers in Independent Schools

**Click here to download an informational flier.**

The institute application is available here.

The Peabody Professional Institute for Beginning Teachers at Independent Schools is a two-week intensive pre-service training and professional development program for new or early career teachers (0-5 years). The institute provides participants with opportunities to formulate or refine a vision for teaching while strengthening their content-specific instructional effectiveness and knowledge about the independent school context. The institute is designed for current and aspiring high school and middle school teachers in math, science, and the humanities (including English, history, language arts, and foreign languages), and will be of particular value to individuals with baccalaureate or advanced degrees in a content-specific discipline who lack pedagogical training or classroom preparation and seek support as they transition into the profession. The institute will offer practical insights that will be of immediate utility and will assist participants as they begin building the foundation for a successful career in independent schools.

The institute's daily schedule is comprised of morning sessions focused on broad issues that frequently challenge beginning teachers and afternoon break-out sessions covering subject-specific instructional challenges in three content areas: Math Instruction, Science Instruction, and Humanities Instruction.

Topics to be covered in the morning sessions include:

• Overview of the independent school context—the various norms, values, expectations, and roles that independent school teachers have to contend with on a daily basis.
• Foundations of education in our nation—historical, social, economic and political contexts.
• Learning theory—key theories of learning, such as the How People Learn framework.
• Instructional strategies—methods of teaching, such as differentiated instruction and approaches that target gifted and special education students.
• Curricular and assessment design—different ways to construct instructional content and create
  assessments of student learning.
• Classroom management-how to design and implement effective classroom strategies.
• Technology for classroom instruction—examples of various software and hardware available to teachers at all grade levels and subject areas.
• Literacy development across the curriculum—strategies for developing literacy within various content areas, such as science and history class.
• Development of yourself as a professional—accessing resources such as professional development, mentoring, research, graduate degree programs, and professional organizations.
• Preparation for the first days of school—the many practical considerations that greet teachers upon arrival, such as classroom organization, acquiring materials, codes of conduct, balancing teaching and other duties, and interacting with parents, peers and administrators.

“I enjoyed the breadth of programs, but it was the attention to detail that truly impressed me. The institute faculty and staff genuinely care about your experience.” – Jeff Slagell, Interim Director of Library Services, Delta State University