Why take your Residency at Northern?

NNMC's Teacher Residency Program, in partnership with NMPED and local districts, offers targeted support to teacher residency candidates, including professional development and peer coaching. Over a two-semester placement, candidates work closely with a master teacher in a co-teaching relationship. Candidates are also assigned an instructional coach at Northern who assists them with elements like curriculum development and how to teach specific courses. The goal is to provide wraparound support for the candidate.

This partnership provides a structured schedule that gradually increases classroom responsibilities. Activities include observations, teaching, lesson planning, classroom preparation, attending meetings, and participating in trainings. The immersive experience ensures that new teachers are well-prepared and confident in their roles.

Teacher residents are also supported with a stipend of $35,000 for their participation. In addition, their mentor teacher and Principal of the hosting school are eligible to receive a stipend of $2,000 each for their support of the Teacher Resident.

Candidates are ensured full-time employment in the district of their residency on completion of the program. They in turn commit to teaching in their district for three years following their residency.

The Teacher Residency Program at NNMC is designed in collaboration with the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) to address teacher shortages and turnover by: 

• increasing teacher diversity
• strengthening instruction during clinical practice placements
• addressing educational inequities across the state, including the documented equity gaps that Yazzie/Martinez established as the state’s responsibility to remedy
• ensuring new teachers are prepared for their complex yet rewarding jobs as teachers before being hired as teachers of record

The Department of Teacher Education (DTE) at Northern New Mexico College is committed to their partnership with NMPED and District partners in providing targeted support to teacher residency candidates over a two-semester placement with a master teacher in a co-teaching relationship.

This working relationship will provide intentional scheduling to progressively increase in classroom responsibilities and activities that include, but are not limited to observations, teaching, lesson planning, classroom preparation, attend meetings, and trainings.