- Year 2024
- NSF Noyce Award # 1852670
- First Name David
- Last Name Perault
- Registration Faculty/Administrator/Other
- Discipline STEM Education (general)
- Role Co-PI
- Presenters
David Perault, Andrew Bruce, Allison Jablonski – University of Lynchburg
Need
Newly hired teachers are often unprepared for the rigors and challenges they face in the classroom. These extend well beyond academic content, and into personal, cultural, and societal issues for which they not been trained. Our overlying goad has been to address this unfulfilled need, and better prepare students as they transition to their teaching careers.
Research Questions
Our program has looked to address the underlying question of how we can improve confidence and lower apprehension of rookie teachers.
Approach
We have compiled numerous opportunities for our Noyce Scholars to better prepare and become more comfortable with the classroom environment. These include monthly workshops, peer mentoring, and hands-on internships and outreach activities.
Outcomes
Students are responding positively to their interactions with peers (both past and current fellow Noyce Scholars). Having the resources available to successfully prepare for the classroom has been very beneficial.
Broader Impacts
Our graduates are entering the workforce with a clearer set of expectations, and a more realistic perspective of the challenges they face in the classroom. While early, we are hopeful this will result in increased teacher retention, and a higher quality of life by our teachers.
