UNC MAT

New program seeks to address North Carolina’s lack of teachers of color “This is a program, a concept, a dream, if you will, that is trying to address educational equity in a very specific and deliberate way,” Dream Project Director Emily Chávez said. 

CREED has partnered with We Are the Dream (WATD) to build a digital archive of stories from communities of color.

Each month, WATD hosts four virtual storytelling workshops where participants learn the importance of stories and narratives in shaping the world around us. Attendees then have a chance to begin telling their own stories using their smartphone to be posted to the digital archive. Participants will be compensated up to $300 for sharing their stories. Ultimately, the project is intended to drive policy change by amplifying marginalized voices and providing videos for organizations like CREED to use in support advocacy initiatives. When signing up, please select CREED NC from the list of sponsoring organizations.

Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/storyteller-workshop-tickets-205277479467

Thrilled to tap into the expertise of Dr. Yuliana Rodriguez for the work of DREAM.

Welcome back to our . This week we have Yuliana Rodriguez-Vongsavanh, Chair of the Retention Task Force.

Dr. Rodriguez-Vongsavanh’s work focuses on the family and couple experiences of immigrant groups, the sociocultural factors influencing well-being among vulnerable populations, and relationship and coparenting education. As a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE), her background is in educational outreach efforts. She received the Gladys Strawn Bullard Award for Leadership and Service to UNC-Greensboro for her research and community involvement focused on meeting the needs of NC’s burgeoning Latinx community that emphasized supporting families in a way that helped pave the way for college readiness and attendance among Latinx youth. In addition, she was distinguished with the Latino Community Coalition of Guilford County’s Notable Latinos of the Triad Award – an award designated to recognize community members who make a significant impact on the community locally.

So very proud of our very own James Michael Sapp who was named NC Student Teacher of the year!

Pollard Middle School intern named statewide Student Teacher of the Year - Chatham Journal Newspaper Pittsboro, NC – James Michael Sapp, a UNC-Chapel Hill 2021 Master of Arts in Teaching graduate who spent the past year interning at Margaret B. Pollard Middle School, has been named the North Carolina Association for Colleges of Teacher Educators’…

Hey teachers! Let’s see your first day of school pictures! Bonus points for alums that are rocking their “I’m a Tarheel Teacher” door placard.

Welcome our new Project Director, Emily Chávez!

Emily has been an advocate for social justice education and worked to create opportunities for equitable educational access, particularly for students of color, undocumented students, and LGBTQ+ students.
Emily has taught and advised middle school, high school, and undergraduate students as well as led professional development on Latin American and Caribbean Studies for teachers around the state of North Carolina.
Prior to joining DREAM, she served as the Director of Equity and Justice for Duke School in Durham. She is the co-editor, along with Dr. Kia Caldwell, of Engaging the African Diaspora in K-12 Education (Peter Lang Publishing, 2020).
Learn more about Emily here: https://ed.unc.edu/people/emily-chavez/

DREAM has four core goals, each being targeted by a task force within the project:

1. Recruit a diverse and equity-focused cohort of educators that reflect the identity of the students it serves.

2. Educate and provide coursework and fieldwork for DREAM residents to teach effectively with attention to academic standards and Transformative Social and Emotional Learning.

3. Induct and improve teachers through professional development that leverages affinity caucuses to equip teachers with skills, dispositions, and knowledge necessary for effectively teaching a racially and ethnically diverse student body.

4. Retain and support the cohort through mentorship, community, affinity groups, affinity caucuses, cultivating belonging, and offering cultural affirmation.

Well deserved awards for two people integral to our students’ success, whether at the beginning through the recruitment process or throughout the entire MAT program of student. We couldn’t be more proud of Jia Heiny and Trish Harris. WELL DONE! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

As a student teacher, 2021 UNC MAT graduate James Michael Sapp saw an opportunity to try a different, thematic approach with seventh graders in his social studies class. World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War provided an opportunity for them to explore a question about history that couldn’t be answered in a class period or that even had a definitive answer — "What is a just war?" For Sapp's outstanding student teaching and dedication to his students, he was named the School's Student Teacher of the Year ➡️ unc.live/3wYXDSo

We are so excited to get these MAT Graduation boxes into the hands of our amazing 2021 grads! Thank you to all of the donors and people who made this possible!

UNC MAT student Zarett Ramirez spent the last school year student teaching — and putting her coursework into practice — at Durham Public Schools's Forest View Elementary School. This fall, we can't wait to see her lead her own classroom in her hometown of Charlotte! Meet Zarett ➡️ bit.ly/342Oag7

Welcome to the DREAM Facebook account! DREAM — or the Diverse and Resilient Educators Advised through Mentorship teacher residency program — brings together UNC School of Education and Durham Public Schools in a partnership to increase diversity in Durham’s teacher workforce, with a focus on Latinx teachers.

Through our UNC MAT program, DREAM residents will receive high-quality teacher preparation — through rigorous and innovative coursework and a DPS student-teaching placement.

After graduating, residents will work in DPS and receive multiple supports to help them persist in the profession. Follow this account to learn more about our work and to meet students, teachers, and members of our DREAM team!

Welcome MAT Class of 2022! We are so excited to have you!

Congratulations MAT Class of 2021!

We are thrilled for Hannah and her colleagues who are waking the stage this weekend to receive their hard-earned Master of Arts in Teaching degree!

We couldn't agree more with 2021 UNC MAT graduate Hannah Entwistle: The future IS in North Carolina classrooms! We're excited and proud to know that you and your fellow MAT grads will lead your own classrooms this fall. 🎓 Meet our Class of 2021 ➡️ unc.live/3y2VJks

Sending Tar Heel teachers into their first classroom and the profession Each spring, the UNC School of Education graduates North Carolina's most highly effective teachers through its Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Our graduates leave Chapel Hill prepared to lead classrooms and to ensure that all of their students succeed. For the first time in 2020, we sent M...

UNC MAT student Sam Wilson has been student teaching at Northside Elementary School in Chapel Hill, and during his internship this past academic year, he has grown strong relationships with his students to keep them engaged. He's looking forward to teaching elementary school in California next year. Meet Sam ➡️ bit.ly/3hbgpkC

UNC MAT teachers are making a difference. We appreciate you!

Another publication from one of our MAT faculty members, Dr. Diana Lys.

At the UNC School of Education, data plays a critical role in our work to prepare future educators. Diana Lys, assistant dean for accreditation and educator preparation, takes on that very topic as co-editor of the new book 📖 “Using Data to Improve Teacher Education: Moving Evidence into Action.” unc.live/3t0PrPM

"Teaching Into and Through Burnout," a timely and important essay for all teachers right now, from MAT faculty member Brian Gibbs, was just published in Teachers College Record. https://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=23579

TCRecord: Article Content and resources for the education researcher

Join faculty, staff, students, and alumni from the UNC School of Education and its MAT program for a Facebook Live event to hear how the current school year is going, how Tar Heel teachers are making an impact, and how the MAT program prepares students for successful teaching careers. Audience members will have the opportunity and are encouraged to ask questions during the event.

So proud of our very own Sandrika Freeman--read more about her experience in the UNC MAT and NC Teaching Fellows.

Sandrika Freeman ('20 B.A.Ed.) graduated from our UNC-Chapel Hill-Human Development and Family Studies program in May 2020 and then entered our UNC MAT program. As North Carolina Teaching Fellow, Sandrika has taken advantage of enrichment opportunities to learn from fellow educators so she's ready to lead her own elementary school special education classroom ➡️ bit.ly/3l6RFYM

So proud of our own Rajani, MAT student teacher.

🔟 : This week, meet Master of Arts in Teaching student Rajani Kulkarni! After graduation from the UNC MAT program, Rajani plans to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher. Even as technology continues to become more important in education, Rajani strives to keep her teaching hands-on, interest-based, and child-oriented. Hear more from Rajani ➡️ bit.ly/3pP3jLp

Congratulations are in order for our MAT and SOE alums! Well done!

Congratulations 🎉 to the Hillsborough Elementary School dynamic duo! Principal Christine Kreider ('00 M.A.T.) and Assistant Principal Jessica Nagy ('15 M.S.A.) are this year's Orange County Schools, NC Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year!

A wonderful event from our partners at the Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Next Tuesday 11/17, entitled "Sanctuary from the Border to the Classroom." Register for the sessions of your choice at http://go.unc.edu/IEW

Next week is International Education Week! Join NCDPI and the UNC-Duke Area Studies Centers for a virtual professional development series on Social Justice and Human Rights Around the World. The UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American & Caribbean Studies will host a session on Tuesday, Nov. 17: "Sanctuary from the Border to the Classroom." Register for the sessions of your choice at http://go.unc.edu/IEW

Great news for the MAT and our wonderful Durham Public School partners!

Big news to share 📣: With a $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the UNC School of Education will work with Durham Public Schools over the next five years to recruit and train teachers from underrepresented groups. Unique mentoring and additional supports will help those teachers thrive in their first years and then persist in the profession. The project is led by principal investigator Kristin Papoi, program director of UNC MAT, and collaborators include School faculty members Dorothy Espelage, Jocelyn Glazier, Diana Lys, and Esther Ohito; the UNC College of Arts & Sciences; the UNC Institute for the Study of the Americas; the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Integrated Academic and Behavior Systems Division; and LatinxEd. Read more at unc.live/3ehN0S6