In 1990, Town School launched the New Teacher Institute, a two-year program that combines both theoretical and practical aspects of classroom teaching. During the 2020-21 school year, the New Teacher Institute celebrates its 31st year at Town. There have been 200 individuals who have completed the two-year program, and many have gone on to hold a number of teaching and administrative jobs in the field of education. In a recent survey, ninety-six percent of our accurate contacts shared that they continued in the field of education upon completion of the NTI program, and 83% of those are still in the education field. Among the current Town faculty and staff, there are 11 teachers and one administrator who are former NTI Resident Teachers.
Our two-year program emphasizes daily teaching, curriculum planning, and professional growth. The two-year experience gives the Resident Teachers the opportunity to integrate and apply the theoretical and practical aspects of classroom teaching.
Each year there are approximately 15 Resident Teachers on a two-year rotation. In the Lower School (kindergarten through fourth grade), there is a Resident Teacher and a Head Teacher in each self-contained classroom. The Upper School (fifth through eighth grade) is compartmentalized, with Resident Teachers working in the Humanities and STEM departments. The Art Resident Teacher works in both Lower School and Upper School. New Teacher Institute Resident Teachers are chosen from a large and competitive pool of applicants from around the globe.
During the program the Resident Teachers gain experience over two different grade placements, with two different Head Teachers. The only exception is the Art Resident Teacher who works with the same Head Teachers as a department for both years in grades K-6. With this constant opportunity for immediate feedback between the Resident Teacher and Head Teacher, the returns are enormous for the boys, the Resident Teachers and the Head Teachers, all of whom benefit from the mutually rich relationships fostered at Town.
For more information or to apply to our program, please visit our program and application pages. Contact the Director of the New Teacher Institute, Jennifer Liu, at 415-746-1163 or nti@townschool.com, with any questions.