Teacher Academy Project: Tapping into a new career
A lawyer, an electrical
engineer, a vice-president of finance and a marketing representative.
What's the common bond?
Each professional has left
satisfying careers to follow a passion — teaching — by participating in the
Teacher Academy Project (TAP)
Begun in 2000-01 to increase the
number of teacher candidates in high demand areas, TAP was developed
cooperatively by the College of Education and the Metropolitan Omaha
Educational Consortium (MOEC). It provides individuals the opportunity to
pursue a career in secondary education and to earn a certification to teach
within one calendar year.
Candidates must already have an
undergraduate degree in a content area related to a secondary level. They can
earn a secondary education certificate by completing 24 hours of coursework in
an area of secondary endorsement, interning in a participating MOEC school
district, and student teaching one semester.
TAP Coordinator Dr. Lawrence
Heck says the program typically attracts three groups of people:
• Recent graduates (within two
to three years) who decide to return to school;
• Older individuals who have worked
with teenagers and want to teach; and,
• People nearing or at
retirement who choose teaching as a second career.
Derrick
Nero (left), an electrical engineer and presently a math and science teacher at
Lewis and Clark Middle School, decided to teach after working with at-risk
teenagers. "I looked forward to tutoring on Saturdays compared to my
engineering job," Nero says. "I know I benefited from great educators and I
want to give back to others who look like me and come from similar backgrounds.
I want to help these students be successful."
As a lawyer for 26 years,
Richard Bollerup worked with many juveniles in crisis and with their families.
"That kind of work takes a toll on you; you measure success in small
increments," Bollerup says. "I want to work with kids in positive ways. As a
teacher, I can do that." Bollerup currently is enrolled in the TAP program and
is student teaching government classes at Millard South High School.
Individuals who choose to pursue
secondary certification begin by completing an application packet. Candidates
must meet minimum grade-point requirements in an area of secondary endorsement
and must pass the Pre-Professional Skills Test. They also must interview and be
selected to student teach by a MOEC school district. After admittance to TAP,
teacher candidates begin coursework during the summer session. Classes continue
through the fall. An internship also begins in the fall; teacher candidates
spend 20 hours per week working with students, faculty and administrators and observing
effective teaching techniques and strategies.
The capstone experience, student
teaching, is completed during the spring semester. For those wishing to pursue
a master's in secondary education, 15 to 18 of these hours can be applied
toward that degree. Nearly 60 percent of the 140 people who have completed TAP
also have gone on to earn master's degrees.
Participants agree that
completing the program as a cohort is a powerful experience.
"For me, the cohort was wonderful," says
Julie Kemp (right), a business teacher at Millard North High School and former
vice-president of finance. "We met 10 minutes before each class and shared our
ideas and brought these to class. Those 10 minutes were a huge learning time
for all of us."
Nero feels the cohort experience
provided camaraderie not found in regular classes. "Everyone brought similar
levels of experiences. Also, many of the people had children. They were able to
provide input from a parent's point of view. This perspective gave me new
insight on dealing with students."
Students also gain new insights.
Says Heck: "The real-life experiences these teachers bring to their classes are
greatly beneficial to the students."
Bollerup agrees, saying that he
can bring knowledge that might not be available in books. "It's one thing to
talk to them about theory, but another to be able to explain to them how that
theory affects human beings in a real-world setting," Bollerup says.
Kemp, for instance, tries to
relate what she is teaching to her business world experiences. That includes
blunders as well as successes. "My experience allows me to bring relevance to
what I'm teaching and what the students are learning."
For these
teachers, making a difference is their motivation. As a student teacher at
North High School, Michelle Ricard, a former marketing representative, helped a
struggling student go from failing her class to earning an A. The next fall,
Ricard, now a newly hired physics teacher, once again had this student in her
class. The student thanked Ricard with a cup, which she keeps on her desk. "Now
I have a reminder that teaching is worth it. We do make a difference," Ricard
says.
Bollerup (left) offers this
advice for those contemplating a career change, "Think about what you have to
offer and what responsibility you have at some point in your life to give
back."
Adds Kemp: "Teaching is the best
career out there if it's your passion. Don't worry about the negatives. If you
do something you love, it makes it worth it."
For more information about the TAP program visit
www.unocoe.unomaha.edu/TAP, call 402-554-2733 or email jherrick@mail.unomaha.edu.
