Teacher Pathway

The Next Generation Science Standards represent a paradigm shift in science education. Prior professional learning experience with the NGSS and Three Dimensional Learning such as the online asynchronous Canvas course Mi-STAR Academy: Introduction to NGSS, the face-to-face NGSX program, or similar experience is strongly recommended.

Access to Mi-STAR Academy: Introduction to NGSS is included as an option with every teacher’s subscription.

Teachers participate in a one-hour orientation followed by three two-hour sessions conducted by Mi-STAR staff. Alternatively, a local Mi-STAR Professional Learning Facilitator may provide six hours of face-to-face training. 

Topics of the PLCs are:

• Mi-STAR Unit Structure
• Mi-STAR Lesson Structure
• Mi-STAR Assessment Opportunities and Applications

Teachers will receive access to Unit 6.1 to accompany the Phase 1 training.  Teachers may request immediate access to one other unit of their choice. 

New Mi-STAR teachers request the first unit they will be implementing in their classroom and complete the unit prep course in Canvas that accompanies that unit.  Upon completion of the Unit Prep Course and the Phase 1 PLCs, teachers will be prepared to teach their first unit. 

Our unit prep courses are designed to reinforce the Mi-STAR unit and lesson structure for new teachers. Unit prep courses also provide a guided opportunity for teachers to prepare for the key content, pedagogy, classroom management techniques, and resources necessary for successfully teaching a particular unit.

Upon completing of the unit prep course and the Introduction to the Curriculum PLCs, teachers move onto Phase 2 and can request additional units. 

While teachers are introduced to the general structure and pedagogy of Mi-STAR units and lessons in Phase 1, each unit has unique content and activities.  To prepare, new teachers receive online, asynchronous “Unit Prep Courses" in Canvas for each Mi-STAR unit that they request for implementation in their classroom. 

For each unit requested, teachers receive the accompanying unit prep course. Teachers open the unit prep course and read through Module 1 and then receive access to the unit resources. Teachers are encouraged, but not required, to complete Unit Prep Courses for each unit they request. Unit Prep Courses take approximately two to three hours to complete.  Mi-STAR recommends that district leaders plan to provide time or compensation for this critical teacher preparation.

Designed to support teachers new to Mi-STAR during their first year of teaching, the Toolkit courses in Phase 2 focus on key NGSS pedagogy and skills, the whats, the whys, and most importantly, the hows of classroom implementation. 

Build Your Toolkit sessions may be offered by a local Professional Learning Facilitator, and are also offered synchronously and asynchronously by Mi-STAR staff. 

Teachers select three of the five topics, in any combination of platforms, to complete a total of six hours of professional learning by the end of their first year.  While designed to meet the needs of new Mi-STAR teachers, we encourage any and all interested teachers to use Phase 2 courses to build pedagogical skills.

Phase 2 Build Your Toolkit topics:

• The Unit Bubble Map
• System Models
• Productive Talk 
• Claim, Evidence, Reasoning
• 3D Assessment

Teachers continue to receive support through their Mi-STAR Professional Learning Facilitator or Mi-STAR Teacher Leader, the Mi-STAR Curriculum Helpline, and community forums. As teachers implement Mi-STAR in the classroom, regular PLC meetings led by their Mi-STAR PLF are recommended.

Teachers are also encouraged to attend the monthly virtual Mi-STAR Learning Series sessions, virtual collaborative office hours, and to participate in Phase 2 Build Your Toolkit opportunities.