ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES CONTRACT OF THE SCIENCE TEACHER  (pdf)

I, as a SMCISD science teacher involved in Project Flowing Waters, will

1.  Commit to participate for an annual stipend of $4500.  Project Flowing Waters begins in May 2008 and ends in May 2009. 

2.  Commit to attend and participate in 6 days of Project Flowing Waters meetings throughout the year beginning with the 2 day Headwaters Meeting on May 21-22, 2008, the 2 day Confluence Meeting on August 12-13, 2008, the Mid-Stream Meeting on December 10, 2008 and the River’s End Meeting on May 7, 2009. This represents four meetings over 6 days.  The first two meetings are for planning and the last two meetings are for evaluation and for presentation of results.  Substitutes will be provided for by SMCISD for all of the meetings during the school year.  As part of the annual $4500 stipend, each Project Flowing Waters meeting day is worth $200.00.  Hence, if a Project Flowing Waters meeting day is missed due to illness or other commitment, $200.00 will be deducted from the stipend for each missed meeting day. 

3.  Interact with the Fellow (henceforth called “Resident Scientist”) informally through email or telephone over the summer, prior to the start of the school year, to foster the partnership and plan activities well in advance for the coming year.

4.  Act as mentors and role models for the Resident Scientist, role-modeling inquiry science teaching, direct teaching, and application of “best” educational practices and methods. 

5.  Allow open access to your classroom according to school guidelines.

6.  Commit to participate in 30-45 minute once-a-week planning sessions during the teacher’s planning period with the Resident Scientist at the school throughout the academic year.  This should be an established set time for a weekly Resident Scientist / SMCISD science teacher planning time.

7.  Participate in a collaborative process with the Resident Scientist for each lesson beginning with several brainstorming discussions in order to focus on specific topics; Resident Scientists will focus on linking their expertise to the TEKS standards and researching possible activities; presenting to the teacher several possible activity scenarios in which choices are made for the benefits of the students.

8.  Work jointly with a Resident Scientist to deliver instruction as a team, realizing that the Resident Scientist cannot legally be left alone to work with students during class time. The Resident Scientists cannot do lessons by themselves even if the lessons are developed by them.  The teacher will assign a role for the Resident Scientist to do within each lesson.  For example, the Resident scientist may be assigned to demonstrate a technique, present a short powerpoint presentation, work with a small group etc. 

9.  Assist the Resident Scientist with implementation of activities in the classroom.

    10.  Assist the Resident Scientist to develop lesson plans and units, and, if possible, research projects during the academic year.

11.  Understand that Resident Scientists cannot serve as substitutes in the classrooms, cannot serve as graders and cannot work alone on projects.

12.  Participate in all Project Flowing Waters projects developed for your classroom based upon the TEKS standards in your subject.

13.  Provide feedback to the Resident Scientist about lesson development and implementation.

14.  Allow and encourage Resident Scientist to participate in classroom activities.

15.  Assist Fellows in collecting consent forms from students and parents for permission to participate in Project Flowing Waters.

16.  Complete Resident Scientist evaluations and other assessment forms on time.

17.  Present the collaborative projects at professional conferences, if possible.  Travel funds will be provided to present at professional conferences. Disseminate Project Flowing Waters activities to other mathematics and science teachers within your building and in your district.

18.  Facilitate grant evaluation activities such as collection of student data, survey instruments and focus groups during Mid-Stream and River’s End Meetings.

Program funded by the National Science Foundation and the Texas Pioneer Foundation,

in partnership with

Texas State University - San Marcos and the

San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District.