Co-Designing Teacher Residencies: Sharing Leadership, Finding New Opportunities
What are the ingredients P-12 and institutions of higher education partners need to co-design a teacher residency? Western Washington University and Ferndale School District offer some lessons about how to meet both university & P-12 needs in this new report.
Co-Designing Teacher Residencies: Sharing leadership, finding new opportunities focuses on how a group of university teacher educators at Western Washington University’s Elementary Education program and district administrators at Ferndale School District reconsidered their approach to teacher preparation. Instead of viewing preparation as primarily the University’s responsibility, the partnership placed the needs of P-12 students and the district at the forefront of considerations, while also honoring a parallel goal of enhancing the preparation experience.
The report identifies the “ingredients” necessary for this work (pictured above) and describes their successful outcomes, including revisions to the residency like work opportunities, a revised placement process, a district “on-boarding” process, and responsive professional development throughout the residency. The words of school district personnel, university faculty, university administrators, cooperating teachers, and residents are highlighted to help tell the story of the partnership’s journey.
