The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, created almost three decades ago and ended this year, helped inspire top high school students to take up teaching and meet the state’s need for teachers.
As part of the program, Teaching Fellows received special training experiences and four-year scholarships. In return, they committed to teaching in North Carolina public schools for at least four years.
Some 350 Teaching Fellows received their degrees and teaching certification at UNC Asheville and several returned to campus this fall to reminisce and, with a tree-planting outside of Zageir Hall, they marked the program’s end and its contributions to the campus and community from 1988 to 2015.
Supporting Teachers to Support Students
“This program has been a model in the state and for the rest of the country,” said Joyce Davis, who served as director of the Teaching Fellows Program at UNC Asheville. As a lecturer in education, Davis continues to prepare future teachers as they earn degrees here and sees the positive impact of the Teaching Fellows program in North Carolina schools.
“It’s a teacher preparation program that enhances what universities already do for students and gives them a holistic approach to teaching,” said Davis. “So, that they look at not only who the children are, but who they are as teachers, as future teachers. They learn to travel together, collaborate and solve problems. They have practical experience with children early on in the program and they grew into what the state imagined when they developed this program almost 30 years ago. And that’s the best and brightest high school students who had a desire to become teachers, now grown into young men and women, who outperform, outstay, and are passionate about teaching.”
A Call to Action
Becca Wertheim ‘13, now a second-grade teacher at Claxton Elementary in Asheville, recalled visiting schools all over the country as part of the program, but feels that the hands-on experience she got in after-school programs as a Teaching Fellow was perhaps her most valuable experience.
“I volunteered as a tutor at [public housing projects] Hillcrest and Lee Walker Heights, home to former and current students of mine,” said Wertheim. “I was also a tutor at Asheville Middle with the AVID program. It was through these experiences that I was really able to figure out who I was as a teacher. I built relationships with students, was able to try out different tools and strategies, find out what worked and what didn’t. Because of that, when I began my first year, I felt prepared.
“It’s no secret that it often feels like there are many dark storm clouds hovering over public education in our state, but this time, we have to create our own silver lining,” said Wertheim at the tree-planting ceremony. “Obviously we are all here because we care deeply about education, but it is not enough just to care. We have to DO SOMETHING. So I urge you to think about what your silver lining will look like. Maybe you could volunteer at a local school, or mentor a child. Maybe you could start a scholarship fund for future teachers, or an after school program for students at risk. In your own way, be an advocate for public education. Future teachers need you, but more importantly, the children of our state need you.”
Supporting New Growth
Kim Brown, chair and associate professor of education at UNC Asheville, continues to find inspiration in the dedication of the students in the university’s education program today, ready to serve the next generation as teachers, and she feels that the positive contributions of the Teaching Fellows program will continue to be felt.
“Planting a tree to commemorate the UNC Asheville Teaching Fellows program is a truly fitting symbol,” said Brown. “The program has provided a strong rooting in the field of education grounded in the foundation of liberal arts for many educators, such as myself. These roots have supported the personal and academic growth of countless students on their journey to becoming fruitful adults.”
For more information about the UNC Asheville Department of Education, visit education.unca.edu.