The Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway feature Relay’s traditional academic programs plus four distinct program pillars that serve to prepare and support participating students to be effective full-time teachers.
 

Pillar 1: Supervised Clinical Practice 

Supervised Clinical Practice (CP) connects theory to the classroom context, focusing on the development of the knowledge, skills, and mindsets required to be a culturally responsive and inclusive educator through ongoing cycles of practice (both during class and in Birth–Grade 12 schools), feedback, and reflection. Relay Teaching Residency and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students receive observation-based feedback as part of their CP coursework, and learn as part of a collaborative cohort committed to continuous improvement. Relay Teaching Residency and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students participate in approximately weekly synchronous CP classes and also engage in additional cycles of learning and reflection asynchronously as part of CP coursework. 

Pillar 2: Assessments and Gateways

Relay students enrolled in the Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway will have gateway assessments, which serve as checkpoints to identify and communicate whether they are on track to becoming full-time teachers and identify areas in which additional support may be needed. Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway students receive feedback from Relay faculty and their school-based mentors on gateway rubrics, with Relay faculty determining the final score. If the final score indicates the foundational knowledge of the skills and mindsets required to become a full-time teacher was not demonstrated, additional coaching and support will be provided and the student will be permitted to resubmit the gateway. 

If a student earns below “emerging” on a gateway assessment, they will earn an “F” in the Clinical Practice course in which the gateway was assigned. The student may be able to retake the Clinical Practice course in a future term, allowing them to re-do the associated gateways. Failure of Clinical Practice courses will be the same as failure of any Relay course and will follow the procedure outlined in the Relay Student Academic Progress guidance.

Additionally, Residents and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students in a two-year program must secure a lead teaching/teacher of record position by the summer census date immediately preceding the second fall term in order to continue in their program. In some states, students’ lead teaching experience in the second year of the program serves as their qualifying clinical experience for educator preparation program completion, and students must ensure that their teaching positions align with their certification/endorsement areas and meet state- and/or program-specific requirements for qualifying clinical experiences as described in the applicable EPP Handbook. 

Pillar 3: School-Based Mentors

Each participant in the Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway is hired by a partner school and placed with a school-based mentor whose classroom serves as a home base during the apprenticeship year. These mentors can be current instructional leaders or strong teachers who do not yet have leadership responsibilities. In some states/programs school-based mentors serve as cooperating teachers for student teaching and must meet state-specific requirements. Relay works with schools to support the selection of school-based mentors, and roles and selection will vary by program.
 

School-based mentors will fulfill several responsibilities to assist in the development of students, including:

• Co-Teaching: From day one, establish a classroom culture of co-teaching and support to take on more responsibility and transition to teaching full lessons over the course of the year. 

• Modeling: Create opportunities to observe teachers as a key factor for success and development. Observations should include a strategic diversity of strong teachers in action, occurring daily for at least one instructional block.

• Coaching: Provide ongoing support with regular check-ins for 30–60 minutes each week. This time should be spent coaching and should include the internalization of lesson materials for the upcoming week, regardless of who will be responsible for teaching the full lesson. The school-based mentor’s lesson plans will be used for practice sessions during clinical practice classes.

• Communication: Communicate about progress and performance in the classroom. Relay’s Clinical Practice Directors are responsible for informing school-based mentors about learning opportunities and upcoming Relay assessment requirements.

• Feedback and Gateway Scoring: Use weekly meetings as an opportunity to provide instructional and professional feedback as well as solicit feedback and input in return. As the primary coaches at the school level, school-based mentors should actively observe to provide concrete action steps creating a culture of continuous improvement and growth. Mentors will also participate in gateway rubric scoring to provide a school-focused perspective on the students’ progress to date.                                                                              

Pillar 4: Gradual On-Ramp to Teaching
The gradual on-ramp to teaching will provide opportunities to teach more and take on increased responsibilities in the classroom as skills develop and the academic year progresses. For example, after learning about classroom culture, there may be opportunities to take on additional responsibility for running transitions or setting the tone in the first few minutes of class. The ability to take on additional teaching opportunities will be dependent on school feedback and the achievement of the Relay Gateways. By the beginning of the spring term, most students should be ready to move into more consistent teaching of at least one period a day in order to build stamina and demonstrate readiness for full-time teaching the following year. In the final weeks of the year, it is recommended that Relay Teaching Residency and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students lead teach for multiple weeks to acclimate to the schedule of a full-time teacher.

In some states, the spring term offering the gradual on-ramp to teaching meets the requirement for student teaching for certification/licensure. In these states, the total number of weeks of lead teaching is determined by state requirements. In other states, certification/licensure-seeking students must complete clinical experiences while serving as a teacher of record in the second year of the program. See the appropriate EPP Handbook for state- and program-specific details. In some cases, if all relevant certification/licensure requirements are met and if students demonstrate proficiency, a partner school might accelerate their on-ramp in coordination with Relay. Please refer to the Educator Preparation Program Descriptions to understand the details for your state.

Relay Teaching Residency: Resident Job Description

The below information is relevant to students participating in the Relay Teaching Residency, only. Students participating in the NY Relay Teacher Pathway should review the information provided in the NY Relay Teacher Pathway: Apprentice Teacher Job Description section.

Apprentice Teacher with School-Based Mentor

Residents need to spend a portion of every day in their school-based mentors’ classrooms as an observer, apprentice teacher, or co-teacher, depending on the gradual on-ramp. This will provide residents with several important opportunities to:

• Develop relationships with a group of Birth–Grade12 students and their caretakers

• Observe and learn from the school-based mentor, who will model strong teaching

• Instruct small groups to support all learners

• Assist with grading and feedback for all students

• Co-teach with the school-based mentor

• Practice specific teaching skills in a classroom setting and receive feedback 

Gradual On-Ramp–Aligned Teaching

The metaphor of a gradual on-ramp implies that residents should gradually take on increased ownership of whole-class instruction. Fulfilling gradual on-ramp–aligned teaching responsibilities throughout the year is a critical part of the job description to ensure readiness for full-time teaching. Above all, residents should proactively and positively communicate and self-advocate to ensure there are ample, appropriate teaching opportunities. 

School Support

Residents will be fully present members of a school community; like everyone else in the building, they will pitch in to serve students and advance the school’s mission. Across a given week and a given year, this means providing structured support and maintaining flexibility with school-specific changes or unforeseen events to ensure Birth–Grade 12 students meet their goals. Residents can provide the school with support by:

• Teaching subject-specific intervention or support blocks

• Pulling students to pre-teach or remediate critical concepts, as appropriate 

• Tutoring individual students 

• Coordinating school activities like “brain breakfast” or a rewards program

• Leading clubs or extracurricular activities

• Substitute teaching on a limited basis

• Leading homerooms or small-group advisories

• Supervising during morning, lunch, dismissal, or after school

• Providing organizational support by organizing materials or assessments (though this should not be more than 10% of their jobs)

Personal Learning and Development

Continuous learning and development make great residents and great teachers. As such, residents should: 

• Attend and actively participate in school and network professional development

• Attend and actively participate in all Relay classes, complete all assignments, and be in good standing

• Engage in weekly check-ins with their school-based mentor and/or coach to name learning goals, review lessons, and discuss support for the upcoming week

• Initiate learning and development in the teaching profession

• Build deep content expertise

• Maintain strong performance in their role and adjust accordingly as needed
   

It is Relay’s hope that residents find great success with their current school partner and position. Residents are expected to complete their entire residency year at one school to ensure consistency in the residency experience and to build strong relationships with students. If a resident is thinking of making a change to their enrollment at Relay, program (e.g., certification or MAT program), area of study, and/or position, they should contact their Relay advisor right away, as this may have implications for program completion, licensure, and Relay tuition.