Governor’s School for Prospective Teachers is designed to encourage Tennessee’s brightest students to consider teaching as their profession. During their time in Chattanooga, the rising 11th- and 12th-grade students’ activities included a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium.
Jennifer Lynberg has completed her apprenticeship, so to speak, and she’s ready for her newest role.
Lynberg, an assistant professor in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Education, spent her first year on campus as co-director of the UTC Governor’s School for Prospective Teachers. In the process, she was mentored by the program’s longtime director, Kim Wingate.
With the completion of this year’s edition of Governor’s School, the reins have been passed on to Lynberg.
“This was our 31st year hosting Governor’s School,” Lynberg said, “and Dr. Kim Wingate has been running it for the last 16 years. She is now handing over the director position to me.
“As she transitions out of that role, I want to thank her for all her hard work. She’s been integral in ensuring it continues, and she’s been a phenomenal help to the Governor’s School as a whole.”
The UTC Governor’s School for Prospective Teachers program aims to enhance students’ perspectives on the exciting challenges and opportunities of teaching. The students—dual-enrolled rising 11th- and 12th-grade students nominated by high school faculty from across the state—spent most of June on campus.
An overview of the myths and realities of the education profession, an examination of effective teaching strategies, resource availability, computer and other technological applications, observations and critiques of teaching performances, analysis of exemplary teaching, and a reflective view of learning and teaching styles are all part of the program.
UTC is one of 11 institutions across the state hosting Tennessee Governor’s Schools programming.
Lynberg came to UTC in August 2021 after spending 13 years as a public school special education teacher both in Knox County and Unicoi County.
She initially learned of the Governor’s School program from a former co-worker in Knoxville.
“Amber Reilly was a UTC alum and a Governor’s School alum, and then she came to work with me at Sarah Moore Greene Elementary School in Knoxville,” Lynberg related.
Reilly received a bachelor’s degree from UTC in 2014.
“Now she’s in the doctoral program at the University of Minnesota, all because she came to UTC to begin with,” Lynberg said. “She attributes all of her success to coming to Governor’s School at UTC, going to UTC for undergraduate and then moving into the teaching profession.”
While Reilly provided her with an introduction to the program, it was Wingate who steered Lynberg into a leadership position.
“Dr. Wingate has been my personal mentor. She has walked me step-by-step through every facet of learning the program and learning to be an assistant professor,” Lynberg said. “She bleeds blue and gold. For her, this is home, and she’ll be here until she’s old and gray.”
The Governor’s School director position has an illustrious history. The short list of previous program leaders includes current College of Health, Education and Professional Studies Dean Valerie Rutledge, UC Foundation Professor and Program Advisor Beth Crawford, Wingate—and now Lynberg.
“For Dr. Wingate to have allowed me to take over makes me feel very trusted in the University community because she’s not been willing to give it up until now,” Lynberg said. “I think it’s just because we both have a special ed background and she knows we are kindred spirits.”
The number of prospective teachers in the profession is heavily skewed toward females, Lynberg said, “so Dr. Wingate and I sat down and discussed how we were going to recruit this year. We have nine males and 11 females, which is the most diverse male-to-female ratio we’ve ever had.
“And this year, we’ve also had the most racial and ethnic diversity. We picked two students from each region, both rural and urban. So the 20 total students come from all the regions of the state of Tennessee.”
By the program’s second day, she said the students were all best friends.
“One of our counselors, a Governor’s School alumnus, said that it was the fastest that he’d seen people come together, start to bond and enjoy each other’s company,” Lynberg said.
The high school students got the whole college experience during their four weeks at UTC, prepping for their post-secondary school careers by studying at Lupton Hall, living in the Stagmaier Hall dorms, going to on-campus spots like the ARC, and participating in activities around Chattanooga—accompanied by UTC seniors Zachary Thompson and Katie Bost.
“And then they teach lessons at the Challenger Center; that’s their culminating experience,” Lynberg said. “We have some great photos from that experience where the students go over and teach to the camps we host on campus.”
The students also completed a service project at Battle Academy as a thank you to the community, spending 10 hours outside of class updating the Battle Academy Secret Garden to show support for the local schools.
“The goal of this program is to get the students to want to be teachers,” Lynberg said. “We want UTC to be the star of the show for the Governor’s School and obviously to recruit students to come here.”
