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 West
Side Teachers Institute
The West Side neighborhood, rich with history and cultural traditions and “community” faculty
offers a learning laboratory, yet largely untapped by neighborhood schools. The
broad goal of the Teachers’ Institute is to improve learning of children
by strengthening the connections between the informal learning resources on the
West Side and school curricula. Up to ten K-12 teachers participate annually
in the week-long, experienced based, summer workshop. This is followed by three
seminars throughout the school year. Each teacher designs and implements a community-based
curriculum project and assesses the learning outcomes.
The
Summer Workshop
The format is simple. We explore teaching as vocation through daily learning
circle discussions, followed by neighborhood “field learning” and
conclude each session with a critical reflection of the experience.
The learning circle method surfaces often poignant, energized discussion about
why people love to teach, their frustrations at the multiple barriers to what
they know is “good teaching,” and how they reclaim their initial
passion for teaching.
Throughout
the workshop, teachers interact with new immigrant parents,
with student apprentices working at local businesses and
organizations, and they meet adults who run after school
programs for children and teens. All of this provides the
backdrop for teachers’ design of projects that take
students out of the classroom and into the neighborhood.
Graduate
Credit
Teachers may opt to register for a three credit graduate course at the University
of Minnesota, “Teaching for the Commonwealth.” (download
a PDF file of the syllabus here). All teachers receive a stipend
for their year-long participation. Funds are available to cover costs of related
curriculum expenses.
For
more information contact Nan Kari nkari@mn.rr.com
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