Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) has a long history of involvement in the education and training of childcare and education professionals. For more than 20 years the college has been offering a variety of courses and programs designed to prepare future teachers, enhance the knowledge and skills of current teachers, and raise the professionalism of childcare providers. On July 1, 2003, AACC combined three areas of the college, the traditional credit Education Department, the non-credit Child Care Training program, and the contract T3 Project, to create the new Teacher Education and Child Care (TEACH) Institute. At that time, these three distinct entities merged and moved into the newly opened facility at Arundel Mills.
The Institute now provides a continuum of educational programs for those who plan to obtain professional certification to work with children from birth through grade 12 and those who are already in the field but wish to remain on the cutting edge of their field through continued training and education. Two years ago, the college’s Parenting Center joined the TEACH Institute to provide educational opportunities to children’s first teachers, their parents. The Institute’s vision is to enrich the lives of the children of Anne Arundel County by supporting and educating the adults who teach and care for them. In order to achieve this vital goal, TEACH employs a quality staff of professionals, dedicated to ensuring the continued success of all students. TEACH full- and part-time faculty members are certified professionals who model effective teaching practices and provide relevant student-centered learning experiences to prepare future educators. Parents, family care providers, licensed day-care centers, and the county school system have come to rely on the Institute to provide pre-service and in-service training for those in the fields of education and childcare.
Education Department
The mission of the TEACH Institute Education Department is the preparation and continuous development of educators who meet the diverse needs of learners in all educational settings. The Education Department aims to offer high quality programs based on exemplary instruction and relevant research. The faculty educates students to lead and teach in a changing, globally-influenced environment and prepares educators for learning settings where technology plays a key role in the development of skills and knowledge. The department strives to produce instructional leaders who are skilled collaborators, reflective thinkers, and effective decision-makers and to motivate habits of life-long learning among students and teaching professionals.
The Education Department faculty is made up of highly experienced and dedicated former and current pre-K to grade 12 teachers, many of whom have additionally served students in other capacities, such as administration, guidance, and ESOL. Some even began their post-secondary education at AACC. Whether part-time or full-time, each faculty member is dedicated to the efforts of the TEACH Institute to help Anne Arundel County grow its own next generation of teachers. To that end, the department sponsors an annual teacher education fair to assist current students transition to four-year colleges and universities. Department members partner with their peers in Child Care Training and Teacher Professional Development in outreach activities, joint projects, and new strategies to promote teacher education.
Child Care Training
The child care training arm of the TEACH Institute provides a vast array of training opportunities for child care providers. Our clients are focused on high quality early childhood care and education. They include public and private pre-school and child care centers, in-home family child care providers, and organizations. Among these organizations are Recreation and Parks Before and After School Care, Head Start, and Maryland State Department of Education Office of Child Care (MSDE/OCC). Training is offered in open enrollment as well as on a contract basis and may include both noncredit and credit offerings. Classes offered through Child Care Training provide CEUs and meet or exceed the Maryland State requirements for licensing child care providers. Additionally, these classes meet the requirements for the Maryland State Child Care Credentialing program. Since 1995, Child Care Training has been the recipient of numerous local and state grants and contracts. The current externally funded programs are Behavioral/Emotional Support & Training (BEST) and the Infant/Toddler and Pre-school Pre-service Training Continuation Grant.
BEST was established in 2000 through a contract with the Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families in an effort to reduce the number of preschool children being expelled from care. The program sponsors three behavioral specialists who serve the county’s child care facilities, in-home care providers, and parents of children six weeks to five years of age by offering assessment, consultation, and behavior management strategies. These specialists are also available as trainers and guest speakers. Since the advent of BEST there has been a significant decrease in the number of expulsions in pre-school and kindergarten throughout the county.
Teacher Professional Development
The professional development arm of the TEACH Institute provides a vast array of training opportunities for educators and school personnel. Clients include public and private schools, youth focused organizations such as the YMCA, and other organizations offering instructional services. Training is offered on a contract basis and may include both credit and noncredit offerings. The vast majority of the work performed by the professional development department revolves around a contract with Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS). One component of this partnership is the Special Education Support Certificate Cohort, whereby AACPS teaching assistants are able to work towards one or more of the seven Special Education Support Certificate programs. To date there are more than 150 assistants in the cohort.
Maryland Approved Alternative Preparation Program (MAAPP)
This program is designed for outstanding individuals who do not currently have a professional teaching certificate, but who do have expertise and college coursework in math, science, English, or foreign-language studies. In the MAAPP program, candidates will pursue their teaching credentials through an intensive preparation program, consisting of Education courses and an internship at an AACPS site. The MAAPP provides a seamless transition and fast route to earning full teaching certification in the state of Maryland. Upon successful completion of the program, these candidates will receive a Standard Maryland State Department of Education Teaching certificate (SPC 1).
Parenting Center
AACC is the only Maryland College to sponsor a parenting program. Through the TEACH Institute, the Parenting Center offers evening and weekend courses on campus that accommodate parents’ busy schedules. Frequently addressed topics include: parenting the teenager, managing anger in family life, teen suicide, gang involvement, and bullying. We also cover sibling rivalry, grandparents’ roles, adoption, parenting the ADHD child, or helping children cope with separation and divorce. The Parenting Center e-zine, which is available by e-mail each month, provides useful tips about important issues facing parents and others who care for children. A different topic each month is highlighted with links to local and national websites for more parenting information.
Student Education Association
Student Education Association (SEA) is the local student chapter of the Maryland State Teachers Association and National Education Association (NEA). The primary goal of SEA is to develop among the members an understanding of and an appreciation for the teaching profession, as well as to offer valuable information and contacts to its members. SEA further serves to promote the values, ethics, and history of the education profession and encourages the maintenance of high standards for teachers. SEA provides members with many different opportunities including volunteer work, leadership training, local and statewide conferences, and a great environment where students can meet socially and make lasting relationships. |
