Teacher Leader and Mentor Certificate

Certificate Description 

The Teacher Leader and Mentor Graduate Certificate emphasizes the professional learning of teachers focused on what constitutes the knowledge, skills, and competencies teachers need to support both teacher and student learning through formal and informal leadership roles in their schools, districts, and the profession. The completion of graduate courses positions candidates to become successful teacher leaders, mentors, or district teacher coaches by developing and integrating research-based teaching and leadership practices. The program is based on the national Teacher Leader Model Standards.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the certificate will be able to:

• Create an inclusive culture where diverse perspectives are welcomed in addressing challenges
• Provide objective feedback and guidance on goals and action steps, sharing lessons from personal experience, and serving as a connector to people and resources.
• Implement models of effective professional development including Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) to best coach fellow teachers within a leader-defined framework for collaborative teamwork
• Integrate their school’s vision and mission to create coaching and mentoring plans tied to comprehensive school goals that empower teacher decision-making
• Use research-supported teaching practices (e.g., accountability measures, top-down models of curriculum development, etc.) to inform specific strategies for coaching individual teachers and teaching teams