Program Details

GWTeach is a minor and teacher certification program at the George Washington University based on a nationally recognized program called UTeach. Students completing the GWTeach program have an opportunity to obtain teacher certification to complement the degree in their field — math, science, computer science, or engineering, opening more than one career pathway upon graduation. GWTeach courses are open to all undergraduate students at GW. 

Take the First Step

The first course (GTCH 2003: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching and Lesson Design) does not require any previous teaching experience and is open to all undergraduate students. In this introductory course you will gain real teaching experience in classrooms in DC to see if teaching is a career of interest for you, with no commitment to continue in the program. This coure fulfills an Oral Communication GPAC requirement and students earn Nashman service hours.

Support

You won't be taking this journey toward teaching alone! Below are some of the people who will guide you along the way:

• Peer Mentors: During your introductory course (GTCH 2003) you will be partnered with a Peer Mentor, a student who is far along in the program progression, in order to work collaboratively on lesson plans and classroom field work.
• Master Teachers: GWTeach Master Teachers are experienced STEM teachers, with more than five years of teaching at the secondary level, who know what it's like to teach in middle and high schools. They will be with you each step of the way to help you grow as a potential educator.
• Mentor Teachers: As part of your introductory coursework, you will be assigned to a local Mentor Teacher's classroom. The Mentor Teacher allows you to observe and teach in their classroom, under their supervision and guidance.

Future Opportunity 

When you complete the GWTeach curriculum during your college career, you'll have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and be eligible for licensure by the District of Columbia as a middle or high school teacher. That means you will have the potential to go directly into the STEM workforce, teaching profession, or graduate school. Even with all of these options available, 80% of graduates of UTeach programs across the nation choose the career of teaching within five years after graduation. Should you become certified as a teacher, you would be licensed to teach in Washington, DC. Don’t want to stay in DC, but still want to be a teacher? The following are member states of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Interstate Agreement who have signed reciprocity agreements with Washington, DC.

 

Minor in STEM Teaching

If you aren't sure about committing to the whole GWTeach program or don’t know if you would like to pursue teaching, but would still like to gain the invaluable skills and knowledge to teach STEM, the program offers an 18-credit minor in STEM Teaching. If you decide later that you would like to commit to the process to obtain teacher licensure, you can always apply the courses you have taken for the minor to the larger GWTeach program.

Ready to Learn More?

We invite you to explore the program! Read about the curriculum. Talk with your POD advisors for more details on our program. Visit our office to meet some of the faculty and talk to current students about their experiences. Once you've done that, we hope you'll join the next cohort of GWTeach students by signing up for GTCH 2003! For any questions you might have, and to learn more, email us! We hope to see you soon!