BHS/UVM Professional Development School

A Partnership Between Burlington High School and the University of Vermont                      October 14, 2002

The 4th Year of the Partnership!

We are in the 4rd year of our Burlington High School/University of Vermont Professional Development School Partnership.  This year we have 6 full-year graduate students, 1 undergraduate student teacher, and 12 undergraduate student observers. A new record for student observers!  The BHS faculty has been tremendous in welcoming these students in the very early stages of their teaching career.  It leaves a lasting impression!  An additional 4 undergraduate student teachers will join BHS in the Spring.   Russ Agne will be on campus again, meeting with the 6 graduate interns as they move through the program and begin to develop their teaching portfolios.  This Spring,  Jim Donoghue will begin his second year of teaching history special methods. Herb Perez continues as on-site coordinator.  Jen Prue has also been coming to BHS to co-teach the EDSC 209 Seminar.  Jen teaches several courses on campus including Educational Psychology, Mary Lou Razza continues as the UVM site coordinator.

Graduate Student Interns



Alison Levy 
Laura Cheney 
Will Wright
Lisanne Velez 
Kim Caterino 
Christina Suarez

 Six graduate students join us this year: 3 History, 1 English, 1 Math, and 1 Biology. Their many talents and abilities are being put to work in ESOL classes, Aspire, 9th grad Team, and math classes.  Each bring rich and varied backgrounds:  business, multi-lingual, school board, parents, coaching, dance, and research – just to mention a few!  They have spent the first semester observing throughout the school and taking classes at UVM on Friday.  They will begin working with their cooperating teacher(s) soon, in preparation for the next phase of the program, student teaching.
 
 

Student Observers

Burlington High School has hosted UVM student observers for many years.  Student observers are juniors at UVM.  This course, EDSC 209, is one of the first courses in a sequence leading to teacher certification.  Students are at BHS Tuesday and Thursday and spend time working with individual students and working in a classroom in their content area.  In addition to the undergraduates, Tamding Phunstok is a math teacher from India, spending 10 months at UVM through an exchange program. He is spending his time working with several BHS math teachers, observing and gaining new ideas to bring back to his classroom.   This year, we have 12 students -3 History, 6 English, and 3 Math- a new record!  Collectively, the 209 students spend 36 hours a week working 1:1 with students or providing extra support in classrooms.
Students from left to right:  Tamding Phunstok, Jessica Willis, Michelle Weaver, Kelly Librizzi, Rich DeRonda, Ebony Meyers, Chris Leicht, Keith Jackson, Brett Bittner, Jamie DiGiacomo, and Jinsie Ward.

Masters Cohort

After almost a year of planning, the first Burlington High School Masters Cohort is about to begin.  Teachers were invited to apply for a Masters in Education either in Curriculum and Instruction or in Educational Leadership.  The deadline for applications is October 21.  The three core courses will be offered at BHS, beginning this spring with a foundations course taught by David Shiman and Sherwood Smith.  In addition to the three core courses, candidates will complete the program with a concentration in a particular area.  If you are not enrolled in the Masters program, you are still invited to register for any of the courses.  The first three courses will be offered at the Professional Development School rate.  Please see Herb or Mary Lou for more information.
 

Undergraduate Student Teachers

This semester, we have one undergraduate, Jill Wallace, doing her student teaching with Bob Ayers.  In the spring, we will have four additional students.  Mary Romary, graduate student,  will be student teaching in French;  Dusty Scheuch, in Biology, Justin Wright in Math, and Kim Henderson in English.
 

What courses do UVM students take in preparation for becoming teachers?

Both graduate students and undergraduates take the same sequence of courses.  Students begin with Adolescent Learning from a Behavioral &Cognitive Perspective(EDSC 207) and  Social, Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education (EDFS 203).  At the same time they are enrolled in these classes, students enroll in Practicum in Teaching, (EDSC 209).  Student observers, at BHS Tuesday and Thursday's are enrolled in EDSC 209. The next group of classes includes EDSC 215, Reading in the Secondary School and EDSC 216, General Methods for Secondary Teachers.  The graduate students take these classes on campus on Friday.  The last group of classes include student teaching, EDSC 226; EDSC 230, Teaching for Results, an analysis of planning, curriculum, design, teaching, evaluation, and classroom management from perspective of research and practice; and a special methods course in their content area, EDSC 225.  Graduate students have additional requirements.
 

Adjunct Faculty Status

All BHS faculty working with UVM students (cooperating teachers, hosting student observers, participating on the PDS committee, etc..) are eligible for adjunct faculty status at UVM. To apply, you need your resume, social security number, and address. Please give this to Herb or to Mary Lou. Teachers that have received adjunct faculty status do not need to re-submit resumes - just let Herb or Mary Lou know if you are still interested. They will be processed at UVM and you will receive an appointment letter. Benefits include: 1) UVM email account 2) CATCard 3)Campus Ticket Store (some discounts) 4) Free admission to Fleming Museum 5) Extended loan period for library materials 6) Remote access to Sage 7) Access to recreations facilities at UVM including family hours 8) Use of Computing facilities at UVM 9) Spouse, spousal equivalents and dependents are eligible for a CATcard.

PDS Intern Office

Through the generosity of the C building teachers, we have continued to hang our hats in the little room behind the copier room in C building.  If you need to get in touch with Mary Lou or the interns, just leave a message on the memo board in the room.
 

Thank you all for being so welcoming to our UVM students !