Our Mission
The mission of the University of Maryland Terrapin Teachers program is to engage science and mathematics students in the teaching and learning process so that they are prepared by the end of their four undergraduate years to be highly skilled middle and secondary science and mathematics school teachers who can go on to teach and inspire their students, and enable them to not only know about science and math, but to use these disciplines in their everyday lives.
Terrapin Teacher Partners
Our local school district partners are so important and are an integral part of the success of the program. Local public school teachers work closely with our undergraduates to develop inquiry-based lessons in science and math. Teachers provide constructive feedback to help undergraduates build upon their knowledge base.
Montgomery County Public Schools
Prince George's County Public Schools
Special Initiatives
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT AWARD
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a grant of $296K to University of Maryland for support of the project entitled "Engaging Community Colleges in Recruitment of Secondary STEM Teachers Through Early Field Experiences." The award will be under the direction of Dr. Anisha Campbell (Associate Director, Terrapin Teachers), and Dr. Daniel Chazan (Co-Director, Terrapin Teachers, Professor, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership).
The project is a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland and two community colleges, Montgomery Community College and Prince Georges’ Community College. The project intends to offer courses (TLPL 101) incorporating early teaching experiences to encourage and recruit a diverse pool of students (undergraduates, non-instructional staff, e.g., teaching aides; and, career changers) who might otherwise not consider STEM teaching.
Shared Master Teacher Model
Terrapin Teachers has implemented a new shared master teacher initiative that provides unique and exciting opportunities for our program and the local school district. The initiative involves hiring additional master teachers, but rather than the master teachers being full-time employees of the University of Maryland (UMD), the individuals are teachers in the Montgomery County Public School System (MCPS) who are assigned by their school district to work 60% of their time with Terrapin Teachers.
The shared master teachers will co-teach our introductory courses, TLPL 101 and TLPL 102. In addition to teaching, the master teachers will serve as mentors to students in the Master's Certification program, who will complete a paid internship at the master teachers' schools.
Part-time Paid Internship Opportunity
Information on how to apply will be added at a later date.
Maryland Mathematics and Science Institute (MMSI)
During the workshop, held in June, high school teachers learn about cutting-edge research conducted by the College of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences (CMNS) faculty with an emphasis on topics that could be used to enrich the teachers' classrooms and broaden the view of mathematics for the secondary school mathematics teachers. In addition, Master Teachers, who are instructors in the Terrapin Teachers initiative, provide innovative pedagogical strategies that can be implemented in the high school’ classrooms upon their return to their respective schools.