Written by: Sudyen Navarrete/Staff Writer
Video by: Sudyen Navarrete
Freshmen from Ronald Reagan/Doral High School can now choose to enroll in a teaching academy as part of a partnership with the University’s College of Education.
“We’re always thinking about ways the College of Education and Miami-Dade County Public Schools can come up with new projects,” said Maria Victoria Tsalikis, elementary education program director from COE. “From there, the teaching academy came up.”
The academy, a four-year program, will focus on teaching students how to become educators.
“The first two years students will learn foundations of education and the characteristics of being a good teacher,” said Tsalikis.
Once students reach junior and senior year, they will begin a dual-enrollment program with the University.
“Students must complete three requirement classes before graduation, especially if they’re seeking admission at the College of Education in FIU,” said Tsalikis.
Teaching academy students must complete one prerequisite course in their junior year and two in their senior year.
The courses include Introduction to Education, Teaching Diverse Populations and Introduction to Educational Technology.
“This will help facilitate their admission into FIU,” said Tsalikis.
There are now 29 students enrolled in the program, which was launched on Aug. 26 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Juan Silva, principal of Ronald Reagan/Doral High School, was present — as well as Dean Delia C. Garcia from COE, President Mark B. Rosenberg, MDCPS Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Tsalikis.
The COE, along with MDCPS, also created counseling for the students and professors involved at the academy.
“We’ve had meetings with the teachers, with coordinators and the principal of the high school,” said Tsalikis. “We provide academic advising in the sense of context, content, curriculum and needs students may have.”
Other plans include opening teaching academies in other high schools.
COE faculty and students, under Tsalikis’ lead, will begin to show presence at the academy to create “interaction, network and skills” among the high school students.
Tsalikis said many of her students have signed up to volunteer for the academy and hopes the number keeps growing.
“We are in the process of planning and drafting time frames with a lot of interactions at Ronald Reagan/Doral High,” she said. “I expect to go there myself and teach lessons. We are also in the process of establishing faculty to visit the academy and be coordinated into the curriculum.”
Danielle Rodriguez, a senior early childhood development, is optimistic about the success and what it has to provide to high school students.
“I think it’s cool, it’s good to get kids involved in high school,” she said. “I went to Reagan and they were highly involved in my college decisions. I think it would be effective if students are really into it and are passionate.”
Xiu Yuan, a graduate student at the COE, is also supportive about the academy.
“I think it’s a good idea because I think most teenagers do not really know what they want to do for college,” said Yuan. “I think their chance to learn some educational theories and skills will help have a foreshadow of what’s to come for them. They will have a general idea of this path.”
According to Tsalikis, the University’s Future Educators of America are also interested in forming relationships and mentorship to establish support and friendships, along with student volunteers from the college.
“The vision is that we’re giving back to our community so students can come to our college and be part of the FIU family,” she said. “Then, we can pick these student-teachers to hire them and they can start working right where they started being teachers.”
The Kappa Delta Pi honor society will also provide services to connect links with Ronald Reagan/Doral High.
The COE will use field hours to help current students from the University develop personal and teaching skills with students in the academy.
“This will give opportunities for students to experience and help professors in schools,” said Tsalikis. “We want to collaborate with high schools to have teacher candidates do field hours at Ronald Reagan/Doral High.”
Tsalikis said that other plans for the future include mentoring middle school students to provide them with the plans and curriculum of the teaching academy.
sudyen.navarrete@fiusm.com
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