Teachers As Scholars
A professional-development program
co-sponsored by SMU and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation
Most teachers enter the profession because they love to learn and want to share that passion with others. SMU offers the Teachers As Scholars (TAS) program as a new form of professional development that allows educators to reconnect with the world of ideas that originally drew them to the classroom. It consists of a series of content-rich seminars taught by SMU’s most distinguished and dynamic faculty that bring teachers to the University campus on two school days to deepen their understanding and discuss an area of knowledge that interests them—regardless of the grade levels or subjects they teach. TAS at SMU is part of national program that originated in 1996 as a collaboration between Harvard University and the Brookline, Massachusetts Public Schools. Today, it is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship and is based on the belief that school districts and universities should facilitate the continuing intellectual stimulation of the individuals to whom we entrust our children’s continuing intellectual growth.
Each seminar comprises two full-day sessions spaced two weeks apart to allow time for
preparation and discussion. An enrollment of 12-15 teachers per seminar
creates an intimate atmosphere conducive to serious discussion and
exploration. Four weeks prior to each seminar, registered participants
will receive a packet containing logistical information (campus maps,
parking permits, seminar locations); contact names and numbers;
information about seminar format, structure and content; an agenda, and
reading material. The sessions meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on SMU’s
main campus. There is an hour-and-a-half lunch break to dine with fellow
teachers and the seminar leader and/or explore campus museums, research
facilities, and cultural resources.
Costs are shared equally by SMU and area school districts. The seminar fee for the school or district is $200/teacher plus substitute costs.