Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models Program

Originally founded at Clemson University in 2000, Call Me MiSTER® is a Teacher Recruitment and Retention program open to ALL aspiring Teachers, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender. There is an expectation that graduates make a commitment to serve communities experiencing Teacher recruitment and retention challenges for as many years as they received support. This dynamic program has proven to be effective as Clemson reports 98% of the students that have completed the program remain in the field of education. Bagwell College of Education became a Call Me MISTER® affiliate in 2021, and we are proud of our CMM graduates.

call me mister logo.

Originally founded at Clemson University in 2000, Call Me MiSTER® is a Teacher Recruitment and Retention program open to ALL aspiring Teachers, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender. There is an expectation that graduates make a commitment to serve communities experiencing Teacher recruitment and retention challenges for as many years as they received support. This dynamic program has proven to be effective as Clemson reports 98% of the students that have completed the program remain in the field of education. Bagwell College of Education became a Call Me MISTER® affiliate in 2021, and we are proud of our CMM graduates.

 

Mission and Vision

The mission of the Call Me MISTER® National Initiative is to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background particularly among the State’s lowest performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from among under-served, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities. Selected student participants known as MISTERs are required to attend a four-year institution to complete their program of study in teacher education and baccalaureate degree. In some cases, the program may allow enrollment in a Master of Teaching degree program leading to initial certification. It is expected that a MISTER who completes his program of study and becomes certified to teach will assume a teaching position and teach one year for each year they received financial support from the Call Me MISTER® program. Moreover, in addition to the formal teacher education curriculum, MISTERs are required to actively participate in the program’s Servant Leadership model or co-curriculum, which entails individual, group development and community outreach activities.

I am a dedicated Servant Leader perpetuating a sorely needed concept— servant leaders as role models in elementary schools. I am devoted to planting seeds of dignity and respect in children and inspiring them to cultivate those seeds producing a crop of unprecedented success. I will teach reading, writing and arithmetic and progress to self-esteem, imagination and determination. Because of my immeasurable promise, not only have I earned your respect, I demand it! A title is only important if ones' character and integrity dictate its use. When you address me, please verbalize my destiny....please do not call me by my first name....call me in reference to my great vision....call me MISTER!