Amy Morgan, Ed.D., has joined as the first master teacher for UABTeach, a program to train and nurture a new force of highly qualified instructors in STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and math.
UABTeach will enable undergraduate students majoring in math, science or computer science to receive both a bachelor degree and teaching certification in four years with no additional time or expense. UAB is one of five research universities awarded a grant to implement the program earlier this year through the National Math and Science Initiative.
“Having the opportunity to be a part of an innovative teacher education program that will help fill the need for secondary science and mathematics teachers is a dream come true for a 25-year veteran teacher,” said Morgan, who spent the past 23 years with Hoover City Schools.
The first program of its kind in Alabama, UABTeach addresses specific problems facing the state, including a significant need for more talented middle- and high-school math and science teachers, especially ones knowledgeable about computer science and engineering.
Master teachers — non-tenured, clinical faculty with exemplary teaching experience — participate in multiple aspects of the program and implement curriculum. They teach introductory classes, supervise field experiences and track student progress, which has proved to be one of the most important elements in the success of the UTeach model.
Morgan says UABTeach is recruiting students and hopes to have 50 enrolled in the Step 1 course, EHS 125, when classes begin this fall. The two introductory courses, Step1 and Step2, are being offered free of charge. Learn more at www.uab.edu/uabteach.
