On Being a Fellow

Recently, a colleague questioned me about my experience as a Fellow in the Pittsburgh Teachers Institute. I could not say enough about the opportunity to participate in such a valuable project. I have taught in the Pittsburgh Public Schools for 25 years and the Institute seminars and curriculum preparation have renewed my enthusiasm for my profession.

The first curriculum that I wrote while a Fellow in the Pittsburgh Teachers Institute was entitled "Citiology." It was a science curriculum dealing with everyday experiences of city life in Pittsburgh. I used this curriculum with my 3rd and 4th grade science students at the Pittsburgh Gifted Center over the course of one year.

Students began the year with a visit from Pittsburgh Firefighters who discussed fire safety at home and in school. The class conducted experiments with fire and made mini fire extinguishers. The next segment dealt with the Police Department of our city. Students set up a crime scene, collected evidence and analyzed fingerprints, lip prints, fibers, and ink stains. Forensic activity kits, on loan from Carnegie Mellon University, helped students to solve crimes and to organize evidence.

The class tested drinking water from various neighborhoods around the city. Some students brought in water from outside the city to test for comparisons. Students looked at transportation by studying the bridges of Pittsburgh and then designing their own bridges and testing them. Greenspaces and parks led us to lessons about keeping our city clean and preserving biodiversity in our area. Speakers from the Pennsylvania Resources Council presented programs to the students.

Lastly, the class dealt with employment. Students developed informative signs that explained the science behind everyday objects and marketed them to teachers in the building. This activity included investigations into careers such as researcher, graphic artist, sales representative, and advertiser.

My participation in the PTI seminar provided many resources. The contacts with Carnegie Mellon University and the Pennsylvania Resources Council enabled my students to experience how science works outside of the classroom. The seminar meetings were a chance to hear experts in the fields of water purification and bridge construction. The interaction with peers during the seminar helped to complete a workable curriculum unit. The seminar leader served as an invaluable coordinator because she kept up with the needs of each fellow and organized speakers and field trips related to each curriculum. The weekly meeting on a college campus renewed my energy and attitude toward my work.

I am now participating in my third PTI seminar and feel that it is making me a better teacher by providing me with the resources and incentives to research my lessons, prepare activities, and enhance material while getting feedback from peers and experts.

The Pittsburgh Teachers Institute is a member of the League of Teachers Institutes within the Yale National Initiative to strengthen teaching in public schools. It was established during the National Demonstration Project of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. Building on the success of the Demonstration Project, the Initiative seeks to establish Teachers Institutes in states around the country.