Postgraduate Resources
Registration
Bowdoin Teacher Scholars will be contacted via email by the registrar's office prior to the official start of spring registration, generally in early November. You will be instructed to register for ED 3303: Student Teaching Practicum, and ED 3304: Bowdoin Teacher Scholars Seminar. Questions regarding registration can be directed to Julie Grossi or Cassaundra Lindberg in the Office of the Registrar.
Dates and Supervisor
The practicum will begin the first or second week in January (this occasionally varies depending on the school in which scholars are placed) and continue for fourteen weeks.
Bowdoin Teacher Scholars follows the public school calendar, not the Bowdoin calendar. Therefore, you will have a week off in February and April, but you will not have Bowdoin's spring break in March.
Be sure to print out the district calendar of your placement school right away in order to anticipate professional development, vacation and other dates of note. You should also find out where to get information about weather cancellations.
Insurance
You must have proof of health insurance and sign a waiver, or register with Bowdoin's plan. Contact Cathy Hayes to request a waiver or registration materials at chayes@bowdoin.edu or (207)798-4284. She will be sending you a mailing in early December with all the details.
Meal Plan
Contact Billy Watkins, dining services business manager, if you'd like to use Bowdoin's meal plan.
Services on Campus
As an enrolled student, you will have access to the Bowdoin library, printing services, Canvas, email, OneCard, Polaris, fitness center, counseling, etc. during the spring. Because postgraduates are not provided with housing, you will not have any access to residential spaces. Postgraduates will use their old ID
Housing and Transportation
Housing is not provided for postgraduate Bowdoin Teacher Scholars. You are responsible for your own reliable transportation through a Maine winter.
Loan Deferment/Health Insurance documentation
Your health insurance provider or loan agency may require you to submit proof of your intention to be fully enrolled at Bowdoin in order to defer loan payments or remain on an insurance plan. To get this documentation, please complete the Enrollment Verification Request form at http://www.bowdoin.edu/registrar/enrollmentcertify.shtml. The registrar will send out a letter that you are expected to be enrolled for the Spring semester. This is sufficient in almost all cases. The registrar's office will not allow you to request an "official" enrollment letter until late January when spring semester officially opens. At that time, you will officially enroll and may request another letter if needed.
Finances
- Tuition for ED 3303 and 3304 will be waived. You will still need to pay for your books (less than $50 anticipated) and any other associated costs.
- Loan Reimbursement: Upon acceptance to the Bowdoin Teacher Scholars program, students will be contacted individually regarding loan reimbursement eligibility. Loan payments are processed by the Bursar and sent directly to your lender upon successful completion of the program.
- Stipend: You will receive a stipend to help offset costs associated with the program. The postgraduate stipend is $6,000 and is made in three disbursements at the beginning, middle, and end of the student teaching practicum.
Placements
Once you know your placement, you are encouraged to communicate/visit your cooperating teacher to begin forming relationships with the teacher and school for the spring. You may ask for student lists, curriculum, course materials, information that is used, etc. While your first official day isn't until early, January, there is a lot you can do to ease your transition before then.
Professional Dress
You will need to dress professionally five days a week—this will mean different things in different schools. In general, you should be prepared with professionally appropriate clothing and shoes in good repair. You may use funds from your stipend to update your professional wardrobe, if needed.
Substitute Teaching
You may choose to register as a substitute teacher in your district. We encourage you to do so in order to be compensated for any days that your cooperating teacher needs to be out. Contact your district office for specific details about substitute registration, as it varies widely from district to district. A few districts require you to "give" up to three days to cover professional development for your cooperating teacher, but should always be compensated for personal/sick days that you cover.