By investing in teachers, TIFT enhances the quality of teaching to improve student outcomes. Following the Teachers Institute model, TIFT offers several benefits for participating teachers, such as higher morale, increased confidence with teaching and collaborating, and improved content-area expertise.
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At the core of our program is the idea that teachers know their subjects and, most importantly, their students best. TIFT gives participating teachers (named “Fellows”) the opportunity to build curriculum around the topics and ideas that will be most effective in their classrooms. This aspect of TIFT recognizes teachers as experts and professionals who deserve the freedom to be creative with their lessons and units, and to apply confidently that creativity to the curriculum they teach.
While most professional development offered to teachers is focused on pedagogy, TIFT is committed to building teachers’ content knowledge through our seminars. As teacher build their content knowledge, they translate their experience into a well-researched, standards-aligned curriculum unit.
TIFT seminars build a network of educators in Tulsa Public Schools, a network that cuts across grade levels, disciplines, and school sites. As Fellows learn alongside one another in seminar, they build curriculum together, working out details and problems they face along the way. Not only is collaboration happening between Fellows, but between area teachers and the TU faculty who lead seminars. Both teacher and university faculty bring their expertise to TIFT seminars, and both groups leave with new ideas for education in the Tulsa community.
The deliverable of the TIFT program is the curriculum unit. This document is developed over several phases, beginning with a reading list and prospectus, and ending with several drafts of a final unit. The unit is designed to showcase the intellectual work each Fellow has invested in their topic. The final curriculum unit will be published online and available for free for teachers to use and consult.
Teacher Testimonials
“As a novice teacher, it was amazing to meet other educators with different backgrounds and discuss what their experiences have been like. I enjoyed hearing from different perspectives and having constructive conversations about important curriculum methods/strategies.”
“My experience in the seminar was enriching. One of the most valuable aspects for me was the opportunity to engage with experts in the field and learn from their wealth of knowledge and experience.”
“Now that I have finished TIFT, I know I can succeed whereas before I was unsure. I feel like I can teach a new subject in depth to my students.”
“The most valuable aspect was talking about ideas for my unit with other teachers and leaders to help narrow down the concept. This experience helped me to really understand what it is I am trying to teach.”
“I am always pushed to think beyond the normal when writing TIFT units. They make me a better teacher, more confident, and more creative.”
“My participation in TIFT meant a lot to me. It gave me time to converse with teachers at different schools. We all shared our classroom management strategies and what we were currently teaching in our classrooms. We bounced ideas off of each other and became real friends.”
“I feel like my seminar gave me a new perspective of what curriculum should accomplish. Before this, I have focused heavily on daily tasks and not the full picture of a curriculum unit. Being able to sit down and write a 3-4 week curriculum unit has made me a better teacher with a broader view of what it means to teach effectively.”
“Personally, it gave me a sense of accomplishment and encouraged me that I can do more than I have in the past. Professionally it gave me a sense of pride.”
*Taken from the Yale National Initiative’s “Teachers Institute for Tulsa Fellow Questionnaire Results for 2024 Seminars.”