Residents are individuals who have been accepted to the Mary Lou Fulton Institute and Graduate College Masters of Arts in Special Education: Teacher Leadership program. Residents are placed in a PLS classroom a minimum of three full days/week and mentored by their clinical teacher. Residents attend classes, participate in seminars and provide instruction to children either in a co-teaching situation with the clinical instructor or in specially designed activities with other residents primarily at the Professional Learning School. Depending upon the activity, residents actively apply the theories and principles of the UPLSI program in classrooms under the supervision of clinical teachers, site coordinator or the site professor. Residents are expected to engage in continuous learning as well as demonstrate competencies through successful completion of course work and the performance based assessments grounded in the themes of Identity, Culture, Learning and Assessment. Residents are expected to build upon each semester’s knowledge becoming increasingly more skilled as they progress through the program. Residents in the Professional Learning School also assume the role of a collaborator in sharing new knowledge and ideas with other school personnel.

Specific Responsibilities of Residents

• Work directly with clinical teachers, site professors and each other in co-teaching.
• Become proficient in designing, delivering and evaluating instruction for children in inclusive environments in urban settings.
• Complete all coursework, residencies and performance based assessments.
• Participate in ongoing professional learning opportunities in the building, district and at state and national levels.
• Work with colleagues to improve results for all students.
• Actively engage in aspects of action research.
• Participate in sharing research results with colleagues.
• Translate inquiry results into new practices applicable to all children.