TIP News

Highlights of the 2007 Program

The Teachers Institute offered six seminars that started in January 2007:

The program was kicked off on January 16 with a Reception/Orientation in Houston Hall. Regular weekly session were held on Tuesdays, starting January 30. The Teacher Fellows were inspired and challenged by the high standards of their Penn professors, and found support from the Institute in the form of a information services orientation at Penn’s main Van Pelt Library; a curriculum unit writing workshop; the availability in March and April of writing coaches; and finally the constant peer support from teachers of all levels.

More than 50 teachers completed attendance in the program of 14 weekly seminar sessions.

On May 29, at a plenary session of all seminar participants and professors/leaders, a number of Teacher Fellows representing each seminar gave presentations to the group based on their personal research done for the creation of their curriculum units. The presentations exhibited a mix of intellectual stimulation as well as practical application of materials for classroom use. The atmosphere was festive from the refreshments and educators’ camaraderie in abundance. The gathering kicked off the final stretch for the Teacher Fellows to finalize their curricular units that were submitted in mid-June.

In September, TIP posted over 40 curriculum units from the six seminars in our online archives for the perusal and use by teachers everywhere with web access.

TIP recognized as an official Institute member by the National League of Institutes

In March, the Teachers Institute of Philadelphia was formally accepted by the Yale National Initiative, the parent organization of the Institute movement, as the fourth full member of the National League of Teachers Institutes. The other members are Yale-New Haven; Pittsburgh; and Houston.

Seven TIP teachers Attended National Seminars at Yale University

TIP at Yale University, July 2007: (left to right) Sandy Lewis; Stephanie Wicks; Rogers Smith; Stuart Surray; Alan Lee; Moses Jackson; Sam Reed; Deb Samuel; Bonnee Breese

From July 2 to 14, seven Philadelphia teachers representing TIP took part in the National Seminars presented by the Yale National Initiative for teachers from cities around the nation that either have Institutes or are the process of exploring Institute programs. In all, seven seminars were presented, led by eminent Yale professors. Our teachers were joined by educators from school systems in New Haven; Pittsburgh; Houston; Richmond; Charlotte; Wilmington-New Castle; Santa Fe; Chicago; and San Francisco. Seminars were held daily in this “Intensive Session,” which led, once again, to the creation of curriculum based on academic insights encouraged by first rate scholars in their fields.

Philadelphia was well represented by Sam Reed (Beeber MS); Bonnee Breese (Overbrook HS); Deb Samuel (Lamberton HS); Stephanie Wicks (Roxborough HS); Moses Jackson (Overbrook HS); Sandy Lewis (Communications Tech HS); Stuart Surrey (Lamberton HS). All came from leadership positions in the local Institute. As participants from the newest of the Teacher Institutes, the TIP teachers attracted considerable attention from people from other cities attempting to plan an Institute program.

The curriculum units created in the National Seminars by our Teacher Fellows and those from the other cities will be available online in the Fall of 2007 at website of the Yale National Initiative, http://teachers.yale.edu.