WCU teacher residency student Winston Mana-ay helps a fifth-grade student at Twenty-eighth Street Elementary School.
William Carey University invites aspiring teachers to apply for the Mississippi Teacher Residency program – a partnership among the Mississippi Department of Education, universities and K-12 school districts.
Now in its third year, the pilot program seeks to change the way prospective teachers are trained by providing them with much more real-life classroom experience under the guidance of mentor teachers. It is open to anyone with an associate’s degree, or at least 60 college credits from a degree program, who has a 2.75 grade point average.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 5.
William Carey was one of three universities chosen by the Mississippi Department of Education to receive a $600,000 grant to launch the program. WCU accepted its first teacher residency students in fall 2019. The program takes two years, during which students complete a bachelor’s degree in K-6 elementary education. Students split their time between courses provided by WCU’s Tradition campus and working in classrooms alongside mentor teachers from the university’s K-12 partners – the Ocean Springs and Gulfport school districts.
In addition to the benefits of working with mentor teachers, students chosen for the program receive full scholarships from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which funded the Mississippi Teacher Residency initiative.
New solutions
“This is a golden opportunity for success. Students receive two years of on-the-job training through a highly qualified and caring support network, and then they step into rewarding careers that build others up,” said Dr. Mary Rodgers, coordinator of Mississippi Teacher Residency at WCU’s Tradition campus.
Dr. Bonita Coleman, superintendent of the Ocean Springs School District, said her mentor teachers love the program and want to see it become a permanent fixture.
“Most of the WCU teacher residency students assigned to our schools were not education majors when they entered the program. And unlike traditional education majors, our teacher residency students begin working in the classroom on day one – instead of having to wait until their third year,” Coleman said.
“We have also hired most of our residency students as assistant teachers. This means that as they work on their education and gain experience, they’re earning a salary at the same time and getting an early start in the state retirement system.”
Classroom voicesWinston Mana-ay of Long Beach is a first-year teacher residency student. Originally from the Philippines, Mana-ay is a case manager for Canopy Children’s Solutions and wants to start a new career as a teacher to help children succeed.
Mana-ay is partnered with mentor teacher Marla Carney at Twenty-eighth Street Elementary School in the Gulfport School District.
“Working with a mentor teacher is wonderful – not just our conversations, but also watching the way she teaches and interacts with students. The students I work with are energetic. A lot of them speak their minds. They talk a lot. They like to tell stories. They enjoy the company of their peers. I think the greatest benefit to me is the firsthand experience,” Mana-ay said.
Chandrae Wade is a fifth-grade English teacher at Pass Road Elementary School in Gulfport. She is partnered with second-year teacher residency student Samantha Guyton of Hurley.
“Samantha displays an energy and curiosity for teaching that is rejuvenating to witness. Our first year was cut short due to COVID-19 closures, but when it was time to celebrate our students, she was right there holding signs and clapping congratulations,” Wade said.
“At the beginning of the current school year, Samantha had the opportunity to become a virtual teacher assistant. Zoom has allowed me to observe lessons, and I call after viewing to give praise and suggest improvements.”
Application and info
The application for the Mississippi Teacher Residency program is available online. Visit the Mississippi Department of Education website at this link,
https://www.mdek12.org/OTL/MTRThe program supports both traditional education majors and people who want to become teachers but are not currently enrolled in an educator preparation program. Men and women of color, military veterans and community college graduates are strongly encouraged to apply.
William Carey and its K-12 partner school districts will host an online (Zoom) interest meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. Attendees will receive more information about the Mississippi Teacher Residency program and will be able to ask questions at several points during the meeting. To find out how to attend, visit
www.wmcarey.edu/eventsQuestions? Contact Dr. Mary Rodgers at (228) 702-1786 or mrodgers@wmcarey.edu.
