TIRP.org

PIKES PEAK BOCES/UCCS
Teacher-in-Residence Program
www.tirp.org or www.ppboces.org
4825 Lorna Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80915
Phone: 719-622-2094, FAX: 719-380-9685
Lou Valdez, Director

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost

The Teacher-in-Residence Program (TIRP) is operated by the Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services (PPBOCES) and the College of Education, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. This alternative licensure program offers a unique "road to travel" to earn a Colorado Teacher License. The two-year program allows one to earn a salary while teaching in a classroom. Participants develop the knowledge and skills necessary to complete the program and concurrently earn a Colorado Teacher License. The cost of TIRP is affordable. See "Fees".

To be admitted to the TIRP, candidates must:

take and pass the PLACE or PRAXIS II test in his/her content area (mandatory before applying).

earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. (30 credits must align with an area in which Colorado grants a Teacher License.)

secure a teaching position. (The TIRP office assists with this task.)

pass a background check, including fingerprinting.

have a strong capacity to learn the considerable skills of teaching while being a beginning teacher.

Pay an initial fee of $1000.00

The program:

is two years long, including a summer session. (For the Special Ed Generalist Endorsement, two summer sessions are required.)

begins in August.

includes mentoring. Each resident teacher is assigned a mentor and a field supervisor to support one's growth as a teacher.

includes classroom observation/supervision activities. Each resident teacher will participate in 100 hours (or more) of classroom observation/supervision activities each year and is recorded on their time log.

includes a teacher education curriculum based on the Performance-Based Standards for Colorado Teachers.

Participants are expected to attend all classes. Many classes are held on Saturdays.

successfully demonstrate each of the Performance-Based Standards for Colorado Teachers.

successfully complete all assignments from the teacher education curriculum.

Pay all fees.

The TIRP is a field-based program for the mature learner. As such, it may be unsuitable for some people. On the other hand, it offers a "road less traveled" in the teacher education field and may "make all the difference" for YOU. Please call Lee (719-622-2081) in the TIRP office to get your additional questions answered.