Food for Thought - Grants for Educators with and Appetite for Learning

Program Components

Customized 10-day orientation

The State of North Carolina requires that all lateral entry teachers participate in a 10-day orientation (prior to classroom) .
The education profession and WCPSS culture are introduced.
Information presented on the organizational structure, professional expectations, evaluation processes and professional growth plans.
Day 1 - Whole group instruction.
Days 2-9 - Lateral entry teachers complete individual assignments at their school site.
Day 10 - Whole group instruction.

University Coursework

Offered at WCPSS facility one university course per semester in core professional knowledge, such as Education Psychology, Introduction to Exceptional Children, Reading in the Content Areas, Instructional Planning and Classroom Management.
Courses function as a cohort program co-taught by partnering university personnel and WCPSS master teachers.
Courses include one half-day of professional leave per semester to prepare for course exams.
Tuition reimbursement provided for two courses per year (A/B course grade required).

Induction Program

Conduct 10 days of professional development during the school year, operating as a cohort program; aligned to the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC).
Provides support through monthly sessions for networking and addressing current professional issues.
Incorporates resources such as The First Days of School (Wong & Wong, 1998), and A Framework for Understanding Poverty (Payne, 1998)
Session Topics:
- Classroom Management
- Time Management
- Parents as Partners
- Diversity in the Classroom
- Stress Management
- Reading/Writing Across the Curriculum
- CRISS Training
- Helping Kids Help Themselves
- INTASC Standards
- Framework for Understanding Poetry
- Licensure
- Intervention Techniques
- CRISS Training
- A Connected School
- Cooperative Discipline
- Issues in Special Education
- Quality Tools in the Classroom

Seminar in Advanced Instruction for Laterals (SAIL)

One-week intensive training helping teachers “SAIL” through the year .
Advanced instructional strategies on topics such as working with special needs students, district organization and culture.
Focus on effective use of instructional technology in the classroom.

Praxis Coaching