Teacher Development Mission

The Arkansas Teacher Corps Teacher Development Team plans and facilitates programming and personalized coaching, ensuring all development is grounded in student and Fellow data, adult learning theory, social justice, and the unique contexts of the communities in which we work.

Teacher Development Vision

All Fellows will be engaged members of their communities and state, continually bettering themselves to be agents of systemic change as critically conscious educators who build authentic, reciprocal relationships and facilitate rigorous, culturally responsive instruction for all students.

Teacher Development Outcomes

ATC Fellows will be supported over three years to develop their knowledge, skills, and mindsets in four key areas:

  • Critical Consciousness

    Self-Awareness.
    Social Awareness.
    Systemic Awareness.

    I am an Ally. I know myself and how my identity and background influence the biases I bring into my work as an educator. I act with emotional intelligence and apply organizational knowledge to form strong partnerships and collaborate effectively. I recognize how current systems reflect and perpetuate historical injustices against members of targeted social groups, and I commit to disrupting them.

  • Authentic, Reciprocal Relationships

    Classroom Culture.
    Community Engagement.
    Professional Collaboration.

    I am a Partner. I take responsibility for creating a classroom culture in which students feel valued and believe in the importance of learning, and I use restorative justice practices to support students with meeting high behavioral expectations. I build strong partnerships with colleagues, families, community members, and local institutions to involve them in the classroom and in instructional decisions. I collaborate with professional organizations to develop research-based practices for my classroom and the wider educational context.

  • Rigorous, Responsive Instruction

    Essential Content.
    Demonstration of Learning.
    Academic Ownership.

    I am a Teacher. I plan purposeful and rigorous lessons and units that scaffold students toward mastery of classroom goals and curricular standards. I challenge students to demonstrate their learning through ongoing assessments and authentic tasks, using that data to plan and differentiate classwork to students’ individual needs. I facilitate students’ ownership of their learning through effective questioning, evidence-based argumentation, and collaborative discourse.

  • Systemic Change

    Change Management.
    School Leadership.
    Advocacy and Allyship.

    I am a Leader. I identify classroom, school, and community issues within my control and actively work to address them. I lead teams, facilitate adult learning, analyze school-wide data, and give meaningful feedback to improve student learning. I build coalitions that advocate for students and transform the education system.

Teacher Development Support

Teacher Development Documents

  • 7-Week Summer Institute
  • 4 Saturday professional development events
  • Monthly after-school workshops
  • Ongoing, personalized coaching
  • Peer-support networks