Novice Teacher Development

On-Going Support

The Office of Educator Effectiveness & Professional Learning is dedicated to providing support for all teachers in Tulsa Public Schools. Below you will find more information on supports offered to our novice teachers from Tulsa Way Saturdays to instructional mentoring, certifications supports, and more. 


Professional Development Opportunities 

Tulsa Way Academy 2024

Tulsa Way Academy is a paid learning opportunity designed specifically for new to Team Tulsa certified staff that provides a comprehensive introduction to the Tulsa Way for Teaching and Learning. You will have the opportunity to engage with district teams as you develop a strong foundation to begin your school year. Tulsa Way Academy is a hybrid model that will include both asynchronous (self-paced) and synchronous (in-person) pieces. 

Save the Dates! 

August 6-9, 2024 | 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Registration Information will be available soon. 

Tulsa Way Saturdays

​​Tulsa Way Saturdays are stipend-supported professional development sessions that provide novice teachers with opportunities to deepen their understanding of effective teaching and collaborate with teachers across our system. Content sessions are aligned to the Tulsa Way Rubric and provide opportunities to learn and practice core teaching skills. 



Each Tulsa Way Saturday will have two in-person session times (8:30 - 10:30 a.m.) and (11:00 - 1:00 p.m.). There will be several content options for each session that participants may choose from. Participating teachers will receive the standard hourly stipend rate for professional learning of $21 per hour. 

Certification Supports

The professional learning office also offers stipend-supported certification preparation sessions. These sessions are designed to help prepare teachers for certification tests and deepen their understanding of the test competencies. Most pathways require passing two tests, the OSAT (Oklahoma Subject Area Test) for your specific certification area and the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT).  If you have already taken and passed the OPTE, you are not required to complete the PPAT. 

If you are unsure whether the PPAT is required for your pathway or have other questions regarding certification, please contact OSDE at 405-521-3337. 

Asynchronous Certification Test Prep Courses

The professional learning team has developed courses designed to help prepare teachers for some of the required certification exams. 

A list of all currently available self-enroll courses is here. 

Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) 

OSAT Certification Support

OEA and its Aspiring Educators Association, OAEA, is providing free, online OSAT Targeted Support Sessions, which will prepare educators to take the required subject area tests for various teacher certifications. 

Click here for session details! 

Mometrix eLibrary

Check out the Mometrix eLibrary through Clever! 

To access these materials on the TPS network, teachers will log in to clever.com with their district credentials and will find the Mometrix elibrary icon in the portal under the library apps section. 

Search for your needed test. For example, type into the search: OSAT Early Childhood Education (205)  or OSAT Library-Media Specialist to display the available resources. Digital study guides and flashcards for test preparation are available in many subject areas.  


To access the resources remotely, you will need to set up an account. 


PPAT Support 

The Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) registration window for Spring 2024 is open. The PPAT is not a test but a series of four performance tasks completed across a semester of teaching. It is a requirement for all teachers seeking certification.


The Educator Effectiveness and Professional Learning Team is excited to provide support for each performance task throughout the semester. 


Dates coming soon for the 2024 - 2025 school year! 



Join the PPAT Portal on Teams. 

As a district, we are here to support you and look forward to helping you succeed in your endeavor to secure teacher certification. 

Additional information about Tulsa Public School resources for emergency certification can be found at the following link. 

Individual Supports

Instructional Mentors

We are committed to the growth and development of novice teachers on Team Tulsa. Novice teachers at eligible sites in core content areas will receive one-on-one, job-embedded coaching. Coaching is aligned to the Tulsa Way Rubric and to our vision of effective, culturally inclusive teaching. Our Instructional Mentors engage in robust training to provide high-quality coaching that centers on students and builds the autonomy and efficacy of teachers. 

Novice teachers can expect to engage in frequent coaching cycles that include lesson preparation, observation and feedback, and analyzing student learning. Coaching might also include targeted modeling, co-teaching, real-time coaching, live practice, goal setting, and more.

FAQs