Globalizing Rural Teacher Training Mentorship

The Department of Professional Education at rural Bemidji State University will partner with the Institute for Global Studies at the University of Minnesota to connect teacher candidates with global-minded educators from across the United States.

This year, 4-5 experienced licensed teachers will work with Deborah Jane at the Institute for Global Studies and Dr. Kathrina O’Connell to mentor teacher candidates in Language Arts 1 (ED 3201) and Language Arts II (ED 3202) in working with representational texts that feature indigenous peoples throughout the world.

Since 2021, the Institute for Global Studies has provided the BSU A.C. Clark Library with hundreds of award-winning global books (including those featuring indigenous peoples) for the Children and Young Adult section. Not only will this project support the use of these books in teacher candidates’ field experiences in Bemidji-area schools, but it will also support the development of the teacher candidates’ culturally reflective teaching practices. This project will also support the continued professional development of those educators wishing to be mentors.

The mentors and teacher candidates will meet online with BSU faculty member Dr. Kathrina O’Connell to analyze attributes of effective texts and plan collaborative and creative learning activities that correspond with the books.

Finally, the mentors will work with select students to prepare a recorded session which will be featured at the educator Diverse Texts Conference in Bemidji, Minnesota at the end of July 2024.

This year, we are particularly looking for mentors who have worked with Indigenous students.

 If you are accepted, you will be expected to

• 1) attend a virtual training on January 29, 2024 from 6 pm-8 pm CST.
• 2) develop a lesson for an award-winning picture book which will be shared on the Institute for Global Studies Educator Resource Website, and which will be shared at summer conference (see number 4).
• 2) attend two partial days of virtual meetings Thursday March 21, 2024, from 9:30-10:45am AND 12:30pm-1:45pm (Central Time) and Thursday, March 28, 2024 9:30am-10:45am AND 12:30pm-1:45pm (Central Time) with Bemidi State University teacher candidates where you will be offering feedback and facilitating engaging discussions on their ideas of how to use global picture books (with a thematic focus on indigeneity) in the classroom.
• 4) Create virtual recorded session with student teacher candidate for the Diverse Texts conference in Bemidji Minnesota July 22-23, 2024.

If accepted into this program, you will receive a $1000 stipend. Mentors are invited to attend the Diverse Texts Conference in Bemidji. If you choose to do this, you will be responsible for your own travel. Dorm lodging and conference registration will be free for you.

Applications due December 1, 2023.