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Greenhill School Employment - Lucinda F. Carter Teaching Fellowship Program |
 In 2007-08, there will be six
fellows in the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, and four fellows in grades 1 -
4. Greenhill also incorporates The Education Group’s McMurry fellow into the fellowship
program when appropriate.
History and Mission
Since 1991, Greenhill’s teaching fellowship program has
introduced
over 120 young teachers to the world of independent school education
through a variety of opportunities in the Lower School, the athletics and fine arts
departments, and the extended day program. Greenhill’s Carter Teaching Fellowship
program has the following aims:
To provide the world of education with inspired, committed,
well-prepared young teachers ready for their own classrooms and programs.
To provide a first class, nurturing and challenging mentoring
process for young teachers by working closely with passionate, skilled, master teachers.
To combine an introduction to teaching with theoretical
study and seminars for talented and motivated beginners.
To provide opportunities for significant personal and
professional growth through the challenges of working with engaged, intellectually
curious, and lively students.
To infuse the Greenhill community with new ideas, energy,
and vitality in the classrooms, fine arts and athletics programs, and co-curricular
activities.
In every way, teaching fellows
are considered an integral part of the faculty of Greenhill School and are expected
to participate fully in the life of the school.
Elements of the Program
Application Process
Candidates apply – separately – to be a fellow in either
pre-k/k or grades 1-4.
Candidates interview with the fellowship coordinator,
the division head, a mentor in the appropriate division, supervisors of other applicable
departments, and (ideally) current fellows.
The fellowship application and interview process
begins in March, and candidates are notified of their selection by July 1st.
Contract Terms
Teaching fellows report to
work for three days of training before faculty orientation week begins in early
August. During the school year, fellows observe the same academic calendar as all
faculty, including all school holidays, and concluding with the end of the work
week following graduation (~ June 10, 2008).
The annual salary for the Carter Teaching
Fellowship Program is $28,500, plus any applicable stipends for coaching, extended
day, and the like.
Fellows will receive twelve monthly
paychecks, beginning on September 15 and ending on August 15.
Supervision
Fellows report to their respective
division heads and to the fellowship coordinator.
Teaching fellows are assigned a “mentor” during
the summer and begin the year with concentrated time in the mentor’s classroom.
Mentors and fellows meet formally, one-on-one, for an extended period at least one
time per week, in addition to daily interaction and planning.
Fellows meet monthly, as a group, with the fellowship
coordinator.
Fellows may schedule individual meetings with the
fellowship coordinator or division head as needed.
Mentors
Interested faculty apply to their division heads
to be “mentors” to the fellows, and those chosen will serve for one year. Recognizing
the different nature of mentoring in the various divisions, mentors in grades 1-4
will earn a stipend of $1500. Mentors
in pre-k and kindergarten do not receive a stipend.
The mentor’s job description clearly spells out
expectations for those filling this role.
A mentor is a master teacher who supports, guides,
advocates on behalf of, and works collegially with the teaching fellow. The mentor
is not the fellow’s supervisor.
Preparation for Fellowship Experience
The fellowship coordinator communicates
with the fellows regularly during the summer to ensure that information on reporting
dates, expectations, and preparation for the program are clearly set forth and in
timely fashion.
Hired fellows are assigned appropriate
“summer reading” to be completed before reporting to work in August.
Mentors contact their fellows before
the first day on campus to welcome them and touch base on any relevant issues.
Fellows report Wednesday, August 15,
2006, for three days of “training” before the rest of new faculty report.
Fellows participate in seminars led
by Greenhill faculty and administrators on topics such as classroom management,
child development, learning differences, children’s literature, school culture,
etc.
Time is spent nurturing a bond among
the teaching fellows to create an immediate support system.
Greenhill provides new fellows with
a “tips and what I wish I’d known” booklet of advice from past fellows.
Professional Development Opportunities
Fellows participate in Lower School
conferences (between teachers, students, parents/guardians) in the fall and spring.
Fellows also assist in the process of writing progress reports for their students.
Fellows will spend one full day in the
fall and one full day in the spring observing classes in other divisions on campus.
Fellows will spend one full day touring
DFW area schools in the fall and one full day visiting and observing classrooms
at other schools in the area during the spring.
Fellows – with the advocacy of the fellowship
coordinator – will work through the division heads to find appropriate professional
development opportunities (conferences, workshops, etc.).
In February, mentors and division heads
will conduct an evaluation of the fellows, and in May, the fellows will have the
opportunity to evaluate their mentors and the Fellowship Program.
Between February 1 and the end of the
school year, fellows will be granted three (3) “professional development / job search
days” (not counted against their
“personal days”) which may be used for classroom observations, school visits, interviews,
etc.
Fellowship Daily Routines
Fellows are assigned to one “grade level”
for the entire school year. The fellowship coordinator will notify the fellows of
their assignments before August 1st. Fellows in grades 1-4 also spend time working
in the primer class on a regular, rotating basis, in addition to their primary assignment
in grades 1, 2, 3, or 4.
The daily schedule of a fellow closely
resemble that of other faculty – with duties being assigned on an equal basis, lunch
times and planning periods the same number of minutes during a day, and a consistent
“flow” to the fellow’s day that is conducive to effectiveness, efficiency, and employee
wellness.
One day each week during the school
year (usually Wednesdays) all fellows – regardless of other duties – remain in the
LS building until 4:30 in meetings with their mentors (or with other colleagues,
teams, heads, fellowship coordinator, as appropriate). The LS will schedule faculty
meetings during this time to ensure the fellows’ participation in them. All constituencies
agree that this consistent planning/meeting time is crucial to the success of the
fellows’ experience in the division.
During the first six weeks, fellows
will work closely (though not exclusively) with the mentor in her/his classroom.
At the discretion of the division head and mentor, fellows may be called upon to
substitute. Always, the mentor is the primary contact for the fellow, and they continue
to meet each Wednesday afternoon.
Fellows have opportunities throughout
the year to observe in the other “levels” in that division.
From January through May, fellows participate
in a case study project in which they observe and follow closely a particular student
- studying, researching, and reflecting on a specific behavior, learning style,
or social characteristic of interest to the fellow.
Fellows will be encouraged to participate
in coaching and extended day opportunities for additional stipends. For scheduling
reasons, coaching will be at the UPPER SCHOOL level and Extended Day will be at
the MIDDLE SCHOOL level.
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