St. Thomas Teacher Residents Explore Twin Cities’ Cultural Heritage

Author: By Faaria Husain Epstein

When I think back to my favorite school memories, I recall field trips, art class, and running the mile, but most importantly I remember my teachers. I vividly remember the feeling I had when I saw a teacher from high school at my local grocery store. When I attended school the following day, we bonded over the shared connection of living in the same neighborhood. At the University of St. Thomas School of Education, we know that teachers who live and work in their communities are able to connect culturally with their students. It deepens the teachers’ connection to their classroom and gives their work meaning.

The St. Thomas Teacher Residency Program is a hands-on learning experience with this type of community focus at its core, and coordinators are currently recruiting future teachers for the 2025-2026 school year. This program equips participants with the skills, knowledge and confidence essential for today’s diverse classrooms. Through a carefully crafted curriculum, residents engage in coursework that integrates educational theory with practical teaching strategies. This dual approach ensures that Residents are not only well-versed in pedagogical methods (i.e., how to teach) but are also adept at applying these methods in real-world settings. Residents in the St. Thomas Teacher Residency Program are embedded alongside current teachers in Minneapolis Public Schools, Saint Paul Public Schools and several charter schools.

This work-and-learn program employs Residents with our district partners, and they receive stipends and health benefits as they learn to teach. Upon finishing the program, they earn a teaching license and master’s degree with a commitment to teaching in their districts for three or more years. Through partnerships with Minneapolis Public Schools (MSTR), Saint Paul Public Schools (SUTR), and a consortium of charter schools throughout the Twin Cities, Residents can choose where to imbed their roots in the community.

Cultural Training Outside the Classroom

Soon after the current cohort of students began coursework last summer with St. Thomas, Teacher Residency Program Residents participated in a single-day Community Voices tour to learn more about the history and cultures of the communities they teach in. Funded by The Minneapolis Foundation and led by Cynthia Fraction, Chief Operating Officer of the YWCA St. Paul, the tour had many powerful and historical stops.

“Every culture, race, gender and religion are important and should be recognized. However, with the growing plethora of diversity in the Twin Cities, it is very hard to acknowledge all of the richness that is represented throughout the state in one day.”

When asked why it is important for future educators to understand the history and culture of the communities they work in, Cynthia shares, “It’s a disservice to have a one-size-fits-all education. We are more connected than we realize. We work hard to celebrate each culture, but don’t know how we relate. You aren’t learning culture; you are living it.”

The Community Voices tour highlighted foot soldiers who have lived experiences in the Twin Cities. These leaders speak from firsthand accounts of critical events that have impacted their lives, the Twin Cities, as well as the school systems. “It was an educational experience, and so curating this was about resilience. It’s important to know the history of resilience. I wanted Residents to be able to expand on their knowledge and ask themselves, ‘What can I do as a teacher with what I am learning?’” shares Fraction.

Every stop on the tour was intentionally chosen to share bits of hidden Minnesota history. One of the stops focused on redlining and the Hale/Field School pairing. Bob Noble, retired Field School Teacher, discussed his firsthand experiences as a teacher during integration. At the time Noble was teaching, Hale School was not integrated, while Field School allowed children of color to attend. Although close in location, the schools were different because of integration/lack of integration.

When asked what she hopes the Teacher Residents take away from the Community Voices tour, Cynthia reflects, “Whatever you do, do it with quality. Don’t ask yourself what you want to be when you grow up; ask yourself what positive contribution you want to make in the lives of others.”

Applications are Being Accepted Now

Applications to apply for the St. Thomas Teacher Residency Program are now open to anyone who has a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and is passionate about education and making a difference in the lives of students in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Within two years, Residents in the St. Thomas Teacher Residency Program have a placement in a classroom and earn a teaching license in Elementary Education (K-6) or a Special Education Academic Behavior Strategist (ABS) (K-12) license. Applications are due February 7, 2025, for the St. Thomas Teacher Residency Program. To date, the St. Thomas Teacher Residency Program has added over 400 diverse educators to classrooms in the Twin Cities.

Strong Preparation Leads to Success in the Classroom

The National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) (2023) reports, “Teacher residencies continue to prepare effective teachers who stay in the classroom. Principals, teacher residents, and teacher residency graduates that were surveyed indicate that NCTR Network teacher residency programs effectively prepare teacher residents for their roles in the classroom in addition to preparing them to stay in the field graduation, especially at a time when it is critical to not only recruit, but also retain effective, diverse, and culturally responsive educators.”

Additionally, SPPS undergraduate Registered Apprenticeship Program for Teaching is currently in a one-year development phase supported through a Minnesota Department of Education-sponsored Teacher Residencies and Apprenticeships Planning Grant. This pathway toward a Bachelor’s degree and teaching license is awaiting approval. A broad range of interest holders from Saint Paul Public Schools and the University of St. Thomas are engaged in co-constructing this pathway through collaborative and equitable program design, curriculum and recruitment/retention committee work.

Criteria for Application: Pilot cohort will be open to individuals employed by SPPS who already hold an Associate of Arts Degree (AA) and/or who have completed the MN Transfer Curriculum.

Projected Application Window: Projected application window for pilot cohort will be February-March 2025.

Projected Start Date: June 2025. 

Licenses Offered: Elementary Education K-6 and Special Education Academic & Behavior Strategist (ABS) K-12

Apprenticeship Programs for Teaching are new to Minnesota, and are proving to be an effective employer-driven educator workforce initiative in other states. Learn more about this national movement at apprenticeship.gov/educators.

References
NCTR. (2023). NCTR Annual Report 2022-2023. https://nctresidencies.org/resource/n

ctr-annual-report-2022-2023/