Noyce Physics-Mathematics

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The College of Basic and Applied Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University is preparing 36 new physics and mathematics secondary teachers over 5 years. Students major in either math or physics, complete thirty semester hours in the other discipline, and are certified to teach both disciplines in the state of Tennessee. Students receive deep content knowledge in the basic and applied science courses taught by faculty that model strong discipline-specific pedagogy. Traditional classroom management and educational psychology courses are provided by the education department. Starting in their freshman year, the pre-service teachers practice hands-on, inquiry-based teaching under the guidance of master teachers and quality classroom mentors, so they learn to model the practice of inquiry. Careful selection of the master teachers and classroom mentors ensure that the pre-service students receive a rigorous and inspiring introduction to the teaching profession. Students are paired with a master teacher from the moment they enter the program. This relationship continues through their induction period. Induction support includes visits from the master teacher, a website for sharing concerns and finding information that will aid their teaching such as lesson plans, potential classroom speakers, and sites for field trips.