Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teaching Residency

Our field experience consists of two components. The first component focuses on classroom observations, classroom teaching and instructional support. The second component focuses on teacher development through face-to-face, virtual and independent online coursework.

During the school year residency you are a full-time teacher receiving teacher salary. Throughout the school year, you will engage in the state required college level content coursework. You will participate in 6 cohort meetings, edTPA support sessions, and instructional support sessions. Every teacher will submit the state required edTPA portfolio.

We believe that the more experience in the classroom, the better prepared our residents are. Therefore, we provide the following opportunities; observation day during the enrollment period, co-teaching with a veteran teacher, teaching small group/whole group lessons supported by veteran teachers and/or coaches. This type of experience is critical to ensure our residents see how their lessons transfer in the classroom and provide safe practice with immediate feedback. There is also opportunities to deliver lessons through a virtual platform and receive feedback to enhance their instruction. During the resident’s first year, they will receive a CMSTR Clinical Educator, virtual support sessions, and cohort meetings all in order to support them instructionally and as a student themselves.

CMS classrooms are full of students who come from a wide range of backgrounds - children of recent immigrants, multiple languages spoken, and various cultural norms and beliefs. Against this backdrop, we know the stakes are higher than ever for our students and we need to prepare them for careers and life in the future.

When teachers enter the classroom, they should feel prepared to work with students from a variety of backgrounds and create a safe and supportive environment that respects the value of each student. To do so, residents will need to reflect on who they are and what they are bringing into their classrooms. In short, they should know themselves.

Therefore, it is important to provide new teachers with structured opportunities to reflect on how their perspectives and experiences may influence their approach to working with students from different backgrounds. As we look to expose our residents to the practices surrounding culturally responsive teaching, our conversations push facilitators to make space for residents to discuss and reflect on who they are, who their students are and where they come from, and the socio-political context that exists throughout their training experience.

Our training focuses on the most important skills you’ll need to be a successful teacher right now and for years to come, like building a strong classroom culture and engaging students in challenging lessons. During your field experience, you’ll practice these skills in real classrooms under the guidance of experienced educators. You’ll also receive personalized instructional support with meaningful feedback throughout your first year in the classroom. We’ll provide everything you need—no extra degree programs required.

Every student taught by a CMS Teaching Resident will attain the best education that ignites their imaginations and challenges them to dream big, ultimately leading them to achieve in our local and global economies. The CMS Teaching Residency program will do this by preparing each resident to: utilize deep content knowledge, skill, and mindsets to create rich, academic experiences for students; understand how the continuous cycle of practice and feedback impacts their instructional practices - draw on students' strengths to challenge them in maximizing their academic potential in pursuit of college and career readiness; incorporate each students' personal and cultural identity in a meaningful way, every day in every class.