Urban Teacher Residencies (UTRs)

• UTRs combine education theory with classroom practice: Teacher residents engage in experiential learning through a guided apprenticeship. This allows them to practice what they are taught, apply it in their classrooms, reflect upon the results and improve their skills.
• UTRs build effective partnerships: School districts join with universities and community groups to provide expertise, knowledge, content and support to enrich the program.
• UTRs serve school districts: Coursework is tailored to the specific needs of the district where teachers work. The three-way feedback generated between the school district, the university and the teachers helps all groups focus on the educational needs of the district’s students.
• UTRs group teachers in cohorts to cultivate professional learning communities and to foster collaboration.
• UTRs prepare teachers for lifetime careers: Teachers who receive well-supervised classroom training are more likely to stay in the profession than those who receive only a few weeks of training before independent teaching. This minimizes new teacher turnover, a dilemma for most school districts.