As the new year began, the National Center for Urban Education (NCUE) welcomed our spring 2023 cohort of student teachers to Chicago. What makes this cohort of nine students special is that the majority (six of the nine) attended Chicago Public Schools (CPS) themselves.
For the past 19 years, NCUE has supported ISU students coming to CPS to complete clincials and student teaching placements. From the outset of our partnership with CPS, NCUE has been committed to creating and supporting an intentional pipeline of students from our partner schools to attend ISU, especially those interested in becoming educators. It is exciting to see more and more former CPS students return home to complete their journey.
Before the semester begins, NCUE staff always reaches out to the incoming student teachers to find out more about their passion for urban education. This semester being a teacher where their students can see themselves reflected and giving back to the CPS district and their community were common themes. One student shared, “I grew up in Chicago and attended a CPS high school. From the student perspective, I have experienced and witnessed how certain disparities can have a strong impact on a student’s education and motivation. Therefore, as a future teacher, I want to use my experience to steadily better the education system by providing adequate support and high expectations to all students in urban schools. Additionally, I would like to give back to the city and the people who have helped me become the person I am today.”
A second student expressed excitement “to have more students who look like me; to have students that I can relate to.”
Another student offered “When I was younger, I heavily depended on my teachers. Whether we were covering a topic that I needed more support in or having a difficult time in my home life, my teachers truly supported me. Therefore, I hope to do the same one day.” Finally, one noted that “being a former student of an urban school, I realize that teachers working there need to be dedicated, ready to face difficulties, inspiring, and flexible. I believe that I own these features to a great extent, and they will make me an effective urban educator.”
Part of the NCUE support for ISU student teachers coming to Chicago is a series of professional development (PD) seminars. Offered both in-person and virtually, NCUE staff, ISU faculty, community partners, CPS teachers, and community scholars come together to share their knowledge of how to put culturally responsive pedagogy into practice. Topics include Foundations of Urban Education, NCUE Networks of Support, Building an Engaged Participatory Classroom, Parent & Community Engagement, Restorative Practices & Belonging, Co-teaching in the Classroom (for non-SED majors), English Language Learner Support (for non-ESL/Bilingual majors), and Resume Review, Interview Prep & Employment Support.
The additional PD was implemented by NCUE years ago in response to student-teacher feedback. Though students felt ISU has prepared them well to be teachers, they asked for continued support during the critical student teaching semester as they began the intensive transition of putting theory into practice. In addition, the PD series creates a collaborative and supportive learning community for the cohort where they can share current challenges and seek advice and feedback from other students teaching in similar classroom environments. Though student teachers have a lot on their plate, they see the benefit in engaging in specific PD workshops that will immediately impact and enhance their experience, with one noting the sessions “are just the right amount of PDs and [cover] the necessary topics that we need to be successful educators in urban schools.”
NCUE is thrilled to support this latest cohort of student teachers this spring as they transition from students to professionals. After meeting with the group on January 11, Gynger Garcia, Breakthrough community liaison, remarked, “Having CPS alums now as CPS student teachers preparing to enter the teaching force is so meaningful! It means their hearts are with inner-city students. It means they have reflected in knowing they desire to serve students just like them and beyond. I can’t wait to see how they make their contribution in our city!”
As one student expressed “I want to teach in an urban school due to my own experience in CPS. I grew up in a very difficult living situation. I looked forward to school every single day because my teachers had made me feel safe and loved and if it weren’t for them, I would not be where I am today. I hope to return that same kindness and care to my future students.”
We look forward to celebrating these student teachers in May alongside the ISU yearlong students in the Chicago Professional Development School (PDS) and Innovative Network of Urban Special Educators (INFUSE) programs. These amazing future educators are just months away from realizing their dreams of becoming a teacher back home in their Chicago community, and we at NCUE are grateful to witness their achievement.
