“Expanding one’s own awareness is to learn, while creating such opportunities for expansion is to teach. And providing both educators and students opportunities to engage in both is education.” – Dr. Kim
NLMUD’s After School Program believes that the act of teaching is to form the future. Educators hold the greatest responsibility to be self-aware, innovative, and critical about the existing state of education in an effort to offer meaningful learning experiences.
In the pursuit of equality and love in education, WE must model humility, show compassion, and be self-reflective.
The educators in the After School Program are provided an interdisciplinary teacher education program designed to prepare her or him for a position of teachership or leadership. The program offers:
Teacher Education Program
Our extraordinary community of educators – from all walks of life – aims to shape the future through the transformation of education. However, this program is based on the premise that transformation begins with the self.
The after school program Educators receive a curriculum that provides in-depth knowledge of both the self and the educational system, along with a conceptual framework for instruction. Concurrently, their on-site practicum prepares them for a position in teachership or leadership through extended, classroom teaching experience.
The three primary strands in this program are: 1) Purpose; 2) Pedagogy; and 3) Practicum.
Educators critically explore and reflect upon the purpose of education. They challenge the existing ideas on teaching and learning.
Educators critically examine and reflect upon the social context and its influence on education. They identify challenges related to teaching and learning in undeserved populations.
Educators reflect upon theoretical knowledge and its application in the classroom through hands-on experience, collaboration with other educators, and practice. Educators develop practical frameworks for literacy building, curriculum design and lesson planning and learn how to collect, analyze and use data to make decisions regarding instruction.
Refresher Trainings (available as needed)
Online Modules: Watch-n-Writes (supplemental, look under "Educator Resources")
“[The program's] years of commitment, sacrifice, and humility have built something extraordinary, and it's been a true privilege to be a part of it. Every moment of Institute was a gift, and I will carry what I have learned about 'learning,' the world, and myself with me everywhere I go.” - Ms. Lee
"One thing I love about this program is the explanation of the why. It would have been very simple for the program directors to say, “We needed to change behavior charts and discipline procedures and we need to change assessments too!” And many programs do that... Instead this week posed questions that challenged our current "why". And in doing so we as educators were able to come to our own conclusions or the conclusion that we need to further explore and create or discover a more humane way of approaching things.” - Ms. Hernandez
“I’ve never worked for an organization before where I was encouraged to share my personal opinion until [the after school program]… I truly felt I learned more from the Institute than any of my credential courses. [Institute] allowed me to revisit my personal goal on why I wanted to enter the education field.” - Ms. Kang
“Serving the community of Norwalk, in an after school setting, allowed me to connect with students, parents, and community members affected by the achievement gap. Discovering my passion for working with this population led me to apply for Teach for America. Now, I am teaching 6th grade math in a rural southern town in Arkansas and I couldn't imagine doing anything different with my life." - Ms. Turigliatto (ASES Prep Alumnus)