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Professional Excellence for Teachers
Educators Bring Hope
Educators work hard to prepare their students for life. One of the most important things educators can do is have high expectations for all students, for these expectations bring hope to children and youth who are struggling either with their studies or with difficult life situations. Believing that your students will reach college is a key stepping stone to making college a reality for them. GEAR UP is designed to support you and your colleagues in the sometimes difficult roles of teacher, mentor, and believer.
College Readiness Through the Curriculum
GEAR UP is built on the premise that it's never too early for families to begin planning for college. The GEAR UP program offers a career and college explorations class at the middle school level. In high school, students will explore their career and college goals and will learn about practical issues such as college admissions, financial aid, and standardized tests through the explorations curriculum that is incorporated into their Amphitheater High School Academy cluster courses.
Teachers at Amphitheater High School are invited to contribute to the GEAR UP explorations curriculum. For more information, contact Dr. Eugenia Bas-Isaac, GEAR UP Director.
A New Model of Professional Development
GEAR UP is designed to support busy educators in meaningful and unobtrusive ways. The program offers a number of services to the teachers of Amphitheater School District who are working with the GEAR UP cohort (the two classes who will graduate from Amphitheater High School in 2006 and 2007) and to others at Amphitheater Middle School and Amphitheater High School. Our model goes beyond the traditional in-service and workshop formats by offering ongoing interactions that support your work of teaching and developing young people.
Professional Development Coordinator
An experienced educator works with teachers, staff, and administrators to solve problems and improve the educational experiences of both adults and youth. Retreats for teachers are conducted at the beginning of each school year. The retreats offer teachers opportunities to refine their skills and knowledge as well as experiences that renew their commitment to teaching. During the school year, teachers are invited to form study groups that meet monthly to discuss issues, methodologies, or books written for professional educators. Other activities are organized at teachers' requests.
CATTS Fellow to Help with Science Classes
University of Arizona graduate and undergraduate science students are available to help secondary science teachers enrich the curriculum of their laboratory science classes. Contact Dr. Eugenia Bas-Isaac, GEAR UP Director for more details.
