CATALYST ATOMS Teacher Fellowship Program
CATALYST ATOMS Program Description
Advancing Teacher Opportunities via Mentoring and Scholarship (ATOMS) is a teacher fellowship program for science teachers in West Texas (read below for the current CATALYST ATOMS collaboration occurring in Lubbock, Texas). The CATAYLYST ATOMS program is designed to provide mentoring for teacher growth through the following avenues: strengthening science instructional and pedagogical practices, building science content knowledge, growing science teacher leadership skills, and engaging in service activities within the community and profession.
The CATALYST ATOMS program provides participating teachers the ability to personalize their instructional and leadership portfolios by engaging in various activities within the following pathways described below.
- Curriculum Design, Implementation, and Evaluation: Science teachers will build and refine their knowledge of research-based skills in the field of curriculum and instruction by creating, piloting, and evaluating curriculum that is aligned to state standards to promote student-community learning.
- School and Communities of Practice Leadership: Science teachers will participate in elevating the teaching profession within their own communities through mentoring, coaching, and professional development.
- Practitioner Scholarship in Education: Science teachers will strengthen their knowledge and skills in the field of education research by conducting action research to address significant challenges within education and disseminating findings that are accessible to teachers and other school- and/or district-level stakeholders.
These options support teachers who are interested in strengthening their teaching practice as well as becoming school- and/or district-level curriculum leaders, instructional coaches, content creators, department chairs, or administrators (school/district/state-level).
CATALYST ATOMS Teacher Fellowship Collaboration with Ramirez Elementary School
Beginning in Fall 2025, a collaborative partnership between Ramirez Elementary School (Lubbock, Texas) and the CATALYST ATOMS program was initiated to support the strengthening of instructional practice, science content knowledge, and leadership skills through on-going, long-term coaching and mentoring for two elementary teachers in science. As the teachers continue through the program, they will design, facilitate, and evaluate long-term professional learning experiences for their colleagues and share best practices related to teaching elementary science within a bilingual immersion learning environment with community and professional networks.
Ms. Zintia Cervera is facilitating a weather lesson in Spanish and English in her 1st grade classroom at Ramirez Elementary School.
Ms. Zintia Cervera is providing feedback to her 1st grade students regarding weather at Ramirez Elementary School.
Ms. Maria Gregory is facilitating an interactive lesson on food webs to her 4tht grade students at Ramirez Elementary School.
Do you want to learn more about the CATALYST ATOMS Program?
If you or your school is intersted in the CATALYST ATOMS science teacher fellowship program, please contact Dr. Gina Childers (gina.childers@ttu.edu).
Faculty Contact
College of Education
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Address
Texas Tech University, College of Education, 3002 18th Street Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
(806) 742-2377 -
Email
educ.webmaster@ttu.edu