Teaching Internship Program (TIP)

Nueva Stories

Dice and Randomness

Every now and then we post interesting stories about Nueva and its alums, stories that show some essential quality of Nueva students and education. If you have one, please email it to Matt.

Prior to a freshman World Religions oral exam with twelve potential questions, the teacher informed the class that the students would only need to answer five of the twelve questions, and that he, the teacher, would select the five questions randomly on the day of the test using a pair of dice.

Most of the students, simmering in a late spring stupor, were prepared to blithely follow these instructions. But one Nueva graduate's hand popped up.

"Excuse me Mr. Brown, this method will not result in random questions. We won't need to study question 1 at all, because it will not occur in a pair of dice, and we would concentrate our studies on question 7, as its probability of occurring is the highest.

"I have a 12-sided die at home and can bring it in if that would be of help to you."

Always thinking, speaking up and engaging in class, thinking mathematically, more interested in learning than in finding the easy way, and, of course, using those SEL skills to be helpful rather than confrontational -- several of the hallmarks of Nueva students.

Nueva Stories

Working as an Associate at Nueva has truly been an invaluable experience. As an Associate I have had the opportunity to see what it takes to cultivate a successful learning environment. At Nueva, mentor teachers support us in all aspects of classroom instruction, management, and organization. By watching my mentor teachers give classroom instruction, I have learned a lot about the importance of differentiated lesson plans as well as the implementation of cross-disciplinary curricula. Social-emotional learning makes its way into everything we do, see, and hear at Nueva. Thanks to Nueva I will never forget the value of developing skills to manage emotions, deal with conflict resolution, and make responsible decisions by respecting yourself and your environment at large.
~ Shivani Savdharia, 1st grade and 5th grade Associate

For aspiring educators, Nueva's rare environment, which authentically fosters and redefines expectations of collaboration and creativity among students, teachers, and parents alike, is a gift in the process of developing skills as both a teacher and lifelong learner.
~ Mark Garibaldi, former Behavior Therapist, Kindergarten Associate

I love working as an Associate because every day I learn something new from the remarkable Nueva kids and the stellar faculty. We get to participate in lessons prepared not only by the classroom teacher but also by many specialist teachers. What a wealth of learning opportunities! Additionally, we get to teach our own lessons each week and receive helpful feedback from other teachers and from our program coordinator.
~ Janet Buyers, 1st grade Associate

Teaching Internship Program (TIP)

Introduction

Diverse
Each August during orientation, I smile with delight as each Associate Teacher shares the story of his or her unique path to the classroom. As rich and diverse as our student population, our team of Associates represents educators from all backgrounds and stages in their careers.

Inclusive
Mid-career job changers, such as those leaving the corporate world from finance or law, are searching for a more meaningful application of their talents and bring a diversity of experience, skills, and perspectives to our classrooms. Those entering education from such fields as psychology and behavior therapy bring a crucial understanding of critical thinking, the analytic mind, and social-emotional functioning, all invaluable in working with our gifted students. Associates who come to Nueva from after-school and enrichment programs, sports coaching, and classroom experience in other school settings bring a background in curriculum design and classroom management, as well as an eagerness for experience in a self-contained classroom.

Supportive
True to our mission since the school's founding in 1967, Nueva programs, faculty, and students provide a living laboratory for beginning teachers to explore and develop their teaching gifts. In a supportive environment of lifelong learning, Associates are able to draw on the rich mentoring they receive from the classroom and specialist teachers with whom they work to stretch their teaching in new directions. Committed to supporting and preparing the teachers of tomorrow, Nueva provides Associates experience in all facets of teaching and faculty life. They witness and participate in exemplary teaching practices, including Nueva's unique programs such as literary club, social-emotional learning, and design thinking.

Collaborative
Faculty members work in grade-level and division teams to design programs and curricula, and Associates actively participate in this process, bringing fresh ideas, perspectives, and energy to their teaching teams. Associates benefit from this professional collaboration and, in turn, the program, students, and broader Nueva community are enriched by the contributions of this future generation of teachers.

Enriching
Filled with experience and inspired by innovative ideas and techniques, Nueva Associate Teachers are eagerly hired by both public and independent schools throughout the Bay Area and nationwide. While most Associates go on to teach in their own classrooms, some continue their studies in pursuit of advanced degrees, while a few choose to embark on other careers inspired by their work with our students. Among independent school communities that have been enriched by our Teaching Internship Program alumni are The Park School in Maryland, Bank Street School for Children in New York, and Katherine Delmar Burke School in California. Associates have also gone on to share their teaching gifts with many public and international schools.

Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Nueva School is a nationally recognized independent school serving gifted students and emphasizing integrated studies, creative arts, and social-emotional learning. For more than 40 years, Nueva has remained committed to its original vision: to inspire a passion for lifelong learning, foster social and emotional acuity, and develop a child's imaginative mind. Nueva creates a dynamic educational model to enable gifted children to learn how to make choices that will benefit the world.