Print VersionMaster of Arts in Teaching: SIMAT
SIMAT is a full-time, twelve-month cohort program that begins every June and ends the following May. SIMAT works with Professional Development Schools (PDS) in Howard County and Baltimore City. A Professional Development School is a school that has entered into a formal partnership with the university. Interns can become eligible for certification in Elementary Education (grades 1-6 and middle school); or Secondary Education in the disciplines of English, Spanish, French, social studies, mathematics, and four sciences (biology, chemistry, earth/space/environmental science, and physics). Successful candidates receive certification eligibility in their content area and the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching.
Interns begin the program assisting with morning summer programs for remediation and/or enrichment in one of SIMAT's Professional Development Schools (PDS) while taking classes daily in the afternoon. The following fall semester, students begin a full-year supervised internship while taking classes in the evening, two to three nights a week. SIMAT interns are responsible for full tuition and registration fees for all 39 credits. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
SIMAT Program Requirements
- Submission of application, fee, essay, resume, and all official transcripts
- Bachelors degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0
- Successful interview
- Appropriate coursework in area of desired certification
- Completion of state and federal criminal background checks, revealing no history of criminal activity
- Submission of a negative TB reading from a licensed physician
- Completion of all supplementary (content) coursework
- Passing scores on one of the following exams: Praxis 1, SAT, ACT, or the GRE..
SIMAT Framework
- Candidates complete the program in 12 months
- Candidates are placed in PDS or partnership settings during the program
- In the fall and spring semesters, candidates complete course work in the evening, 2 to 3 nights a week while interning during the day
- In the Summer semester, candidates assist with professional development schools' morning programs and attend daily afternoon sessions for course work
- Candidates submit and present an electronic portfolio of their work to a review panel during the spring semester
- Certification eligibility is met through successful completion of the supervised internship
- Praxis I and II, content courses, electronic portfolio, and 39 JHU credits
University Support for the SIMAT Program
- A cohort coordinator is responsible for supervision of all the interns and university supervisors in a specified cohort
- A university supervisor provides frequent supervision during the internship
- A mentor teacher is responsible for the day-to-day mentoring and development of the intern, and gradually relinquishes responsibility for his/her classes to the intern
- Electronic support and mentoring through the Electronic Learning Community (ELC)
Student Obligations and Responsibilities
- Register for coursework and pay for tuition at specified intervals throughout the program
- Full-time commitment to the internship; holding of additional employment during the entire period of the program is not permitted
- Attendance and participation at all internship seminars, meetings, classes, and PDS or partnership activities
- Be reflective and self assessing of teaching and learning
- Creation of detailed, written lesson plans developed in cooperation with the mentor teacher and shared regularly with the university supervisor
- Participation in all conferences with mentor teacher and university supervisor, including evaluation sessions
- collection of appropriate artifacts for the portfolio
- successful defense of electronic portfolio
- passing of required Praxis tests
- completion of any supplemental content work
For additional information, please contact the SIMAT program office at 410-516-9775.
