T.C. Williams High School physics teacher Jerick Wilson has been named as a Teaching Fellow of the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) for showing incredible promise at the start of his teaching career.
Wilson, who began his second year of teaching at T.C. Williams this fall, was one of 34 high school mathematics and science teachers across the United States to be acknowledged for their skills. Wilson gave up his first career as an analyst at Accenture after following what he describes as his true values, to become a high school teacher. Under the terms of the award, he will now be a Teaching Fellow for the next five years.
“My aspiration is to be a teacher leader, but as a new teacher, I have to a lot to learn and this fellowship fills in the details of that learning for me. The beauty is that I can take what I learn from the fellowship and apply it immediately at T.C. Williams, with the strong support of the other physics teachers in my department,” said Wilson.
Wilson was brought in to teach the new AP Physics II course at T.C. Williams and he continues to be the only teacher for this class. He is also the teacher adviser for the Ultimate Frisbee Club.
“I specifically chose T.C. Williams because the support network at this school felt right. I had job offers from all over the country, but this place felt like a good environment straight away,” said Wilson.
KSTF seeks to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by building a stable, sustainable cadre of networked leading teachers, who are trained and supported as leaders from the beginning of their careers. With an emphasis on inquiry and collaboration, the Teaching Fellows Program supports participants as they advance their teaching practice and student learning, while leading from the classroom.
The KSTF Teaching Fellows Program offers stipends, funds for professional development, grants for teaching materials, professional development and coaching from a staff of experienced teachers and teacher educators, support from a national network of mathematics and science teachers, and opportunities for leadership and mentoring.