San Francisco State has established a Math and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI) Community of programs in the Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME) that enables students interested in becoming math or science teachers to participate in a range of special activities. One signature program is the MSTI Teacher Fellowship program in which aspiring math and science teachers are invited to become Teacher Fellows. The program brings Teacher Fellows together with like-minded students interested in careers in teaching, and supports them to volunteer in local, public-school classrooms. We hold monthly seminars in which Fellows engage together in fun, collaborative STEM activities appropriate for secondary classrooms, and receive mentoring from local in-service teachers, known as Teachers-in-Residence. The program offers financial support to Fellows in the form of a stipend ranging from $500 to $1,500 each semester and through reimbursements for expenses related to progress toward receiving a teaching credential (such as fees for program applications and required testing). Further, the MSTI Teacher Fellowship program provides workshops to support Fellows to complete applications for credential programs and to navigate the various requirements for these applications. Through each of these forms of support, we aim to remove barriers that can prevent promising future STEM teachers from reaching the classroom.
We aim to mitigate obstacles to help more students confidently pursue teaching credentials. The MSTI Teacher Fellowship program offers resources such as credential application workshops, reimbursements for testing and application fees to San Francisco State credential programs, and hands-on experiences in classrooms. These hands-on experiences satisfy the 20 hours Early Field Experience requirement for application to the credential program. Not only are our students supported financially, they build professional development skills through networking in an educational setting and gaining new perspectives from classroom observations.
Students learn about the broad range of supported teaching opportunities available to them, including joining SF Math Circle, Supplemental Instruction, Learning Assistants, STEM HOUSE, and STEPS. Many of San Francisco State opportunities bring students into contact with an alumni network of local teachers in the San Francisco, Oakland, and San Mateo Unified School Districts. Students in the MSTI Teacher Fellowship program can participate for as many semesters as they would like, receiving a larger stipend for each consecutive semester. As such, they join a thriving and energetic community of future teachers who collaborate and help each other throughout their preparation for teaching careers. Because the CSME community includes faculty from our credential program, students are supported in their credential application and mentored through a smooth transition.
MSTI Team
Evra Baldinger, Ph.D. evrabaldinger@sfsu.edu
Kimberly Seashore, Ph.D. kimseah@sfsu.edu
Tendai Chitewere, Ph.D. tendai@sfsu.edu