For aspiring teachers, gaining confidence in the classroom takes time and opportunities for sustained practice with guidance from experienced educators. Teacher preparation programs that combine coursework with a teacher residency can make a significant difference in setting aspiring teachers up for professional success in school and in life.
In teacher residency programs, aspiring teachers combine coursework with hands-on practice in a classroom. Residents work alongside an experienced mentor teacher to develop their skills and learn by doing. Most graduate-level residency programs start with a full year of in-class teaching and include a paid stipend.
These programs vary in length, and take approximately 18 months to two years to complete. After graduate students complete their full year of residency, the programs typically lead to the opportunity to be hired to teach for full pay and benefits in the second year while they complete advanced coursework and final projects for their master’s degree program and teaching certification.
Research shows that teachers trained through residency programs feel better prepared for classroom teaching and its work with families and communities. Residency program graduates are also more highly rated by their employers and stay longer at their schools.
Studying educational theory coupled with hands-on practice gives relevancy to coursework and deepens learning acquired through assignments and class discussions.
Residents have an opportunity to practice and demonstrate what they have learned, receiving guidance from experienced teachers about what needs further refinement.
Residents spend time building their capacity to think independently and creatively, develop observation and recording skills, and engage in cycles of inquiry and reflection to deepen their understanding and build confidence in their approach to strengths-based, student-centered teaching and learning.
Mentor teachers not only help residents sharpen skills, but they also support them to work effectively with others in the classroom, develop lesson plans, navigate their school system, build parent relationships, and more.
Residencies often provide a living stipend for graduate students, reducing the need for large student loans and making access to a high-quality teacher preparation program more affordable.
Residents become part of a school community and form meaningful relationships with their professors and other residents as part of a peer cohort group. They meet to discuss their experiences and collaborate to solve problems of practice. Many students are hired by the schools in which they apprentice and find ways to stay connected to their graduate school cohort long after their residency is complete.
This teacher residency program in Childhood Special and General Education is a two-year residency cohort program leading to dual certification and a Master of Science in Education. First-year students participate in a full-time residency in a public school with a strong focus on the integration of anti-racist and culturally responsive practices. In the second year, students are eligible to be hired and paid as a full-time teacher. Additionally, all cohort members receive a scholarship that reduces tuition by over 50%, along with a stipend of up to $30,000. In its first three years, cohorts were placed in public schools in New York City’s District 13 in Brooklyn. For cohort 4, we will continue this partnership while expanding into other NYC public school districts.
This teacher residency program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is designed for prospective teachers who are interested in working with students learning English as a new language (ENL) in grades pre-K-12. Students earn their master’s degree and teaching certification while working as a paid teacher in a public high school. In their second year, students are eligible to be hired as a full-time teacher. Additionally, all cohort members receive a scholarship that reduces tuition by over 50%, along with a stipend of up to $30,000. Residents will be placed in public schools in New York City.
Bank Street works with leaders from districts, states, teacher preparation programs, and communities across the country to build public will, advance system-wide change, and support capacity building at scale. Discover our current initiatives impacting policy and practice to support the funding and development of sustainable residency programs and apprenticeships for pre-K-12 and early care educators.
Bank Street’s developmental-interaction approach to teaching and learning recognizes that both children and adults learn best when they are actively engaged with materials, ideas, and people. Using academic, social, and emotional learning, you’ll instill in your students a love for lifelong learning, empowering them to build a future that fulfills their boldest plans and ideas.
On campus and online, Bank Street students collaborate with faculty and their peers. They learn from our faculty of highly regarded experts and thought leaders who ensure that each student gains the tools to positively impact students and start the process of transforming schools and communities. As they work together, graduate students build strong relationships with each other and become a professional network that stays with them throughout their career.
We’ll work with you individually to select supervised fieldwork opportunities that match your goals. You’ll gain the experience you need—working with infants and toddlers at a family and day care center, interning as a family support advocate in a hospital child life program, or student-teaching in one of the largest public school systems in the nation. When you graduate, you’ll be highly prepared to work in many settings, including schools, museums, hospitals, community organizations, and more.