The Master Teacher Program kicked off the school year with our first Cohort Meeting at Emmet Belknap Intermediate School in Lockport. Our guest speakers shared information and materials from the Waterway of Change- a Canalside exhibit celebrating the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal. We are looking forward to the rest of the year and the exciting events we have planned!
New York State Master Teacher Program
The NYS Master Teacher Program fosters a collaboration among the selected outstanding k-12 STEM educators, whereby they develop expertise in the areas of content, pedagogy, and students' families and communities. The Western New York region of the NYSMTP works with 250 teachers from over 50 school districts.
FEATURED
Erie Canal Lockport Locks & Canal Cruise
Master teachers celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal by climbing aboard for a relaxing and informative ride on the 19th-century engineering marvel which opened up the American Frontier. The fun and educational cruise took them past five of the original 1800's locks. They passed under Lockport's "Upside Down Bridge," Lockport's "Big Bridge" (the widest bridge in the U.S. at 399 feet wide), through the "deep rock cut" and under lift bridges.
Engineering Tomorrow Minicourse Renewable Energy
In this lab, Master Teachers learned how to build their own solar-powered and wind-powered turbine prototype, while trying to keep their costs as low as possible. This reflects how today’s engineers work to lower the cost of renewable energy sources in order to make them more appealing to the public.
MT-Led Group Meetings
The first of many MT-Led Group Meetings for our Master Teachers.
NYSMTP WESTERN REGION NEWS
Upcoming PD for WNY Teachers
September-November 2025
See below for engaging PD opportunities, open to all teachers throughout the beginning of the academic year! See full descriptions of each minicourse by clicking the link to view its flyer.
Rachael Burke & Denea Czapla
The Western Region of the New York State Master Teacher Program is excited to offer an extension of our mathematical landscapes of learning series that focuses on the pedagogical moves teachers make to nurture a community of mathematicians across the elementary and middle school grades. The mathematical content will be situated within Cathy Fosnot’s landscape of learning framework and will explore the coherent development of topics along the K – 8 spectrum. Video case studies across the grade levels of classroom practice will be analyzed and discussed using the TRU Framework, from Dr. Alan Shoenfeld at the University of California, Berkeley. These video cases provide opportunities for participants to share their grade level expertise and to enhance our understanding of the content connections across the landscape.
October's sessions will highlight building a welcoming math community for learners to take risks, gain confidence, and take charge of their learning with a focus on the landscape of fractions, decimals and percents throughout grades K-8. Sessions will feature mathematical models and tools for thinking such as pattern blocks, fraction tiles, number lines, ratio tables, Building Thinking Classroom principles, number strings, and more. Real world contexts and situations will be used as we consider and reflect on how to best develop students’ conceptual understanding, mathematical identity, and a supportive, nurturing classroom community.
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 259
Dates: Wednesdays October 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd; 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Mathematical Landscapes October Registration
Mathematical Landscapes October Flyer
Dates: Saturday, October 18th; 9:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Science 105b, Kelly Auditorium
Dates: Saturday, October 18th; 1:15pm - 3:15pm (90 minute film and 30 minute conversation)
Counted Out Movie Screening Registration
Counted Out Movie Screening Flyer
Guided Autumn Hike at the College Lodge Forest
Andrew Gaerte
Join Western New York Land Conservancy staff for a guided autumn hike at the College Lodge Forest, a beloved forest and wetland in northern Chautauqua County. Designed for the WNY Master Teachers program, this hike will showcase the forest’s brilliant fall colors, diverse plant and animal life, and the role forests play in supporting biodiversity and climate resilience. Participants will learn about local conservation efforts, forest restoration, and ways educators can connect ecological concepts to classroom learning. Expect a moderate walk along scenic trails, with plenty of opportunities for observation, discussion, and seasonal inspiration.
This hike is limited to 20 participants.
Location: College Lodge Forest
Dates: Saturday October 18th; 1:20pm - 3:00pm
Guided Autumn Hike Registration
Global Change Ecology: Species Invasion, Climate Change, and Habitat Loss
Dr. Robert Warren
This minicourse investigates how global change drivers—including species invasions, climate change and habitat degradation—reshape the ecological interactions that underpin biodiversity. Attention is given to both mutualisms and antagonisms, highlighting examples such as disrupted pollination synchrony, altered herbivore–plant associations, novel allelopathic competition and cascading trophic effects of invasive species. Emphasis is placed on identifying the resilience and vulnerability of these relationships under shifting environmental conditions, and on exploring the broader consequences for community structure, ecosystem function and evolutionary trajectories.
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 169
Dates: Thursdays, October 23rd and November 6th, 5pm - 8pm
Global Change Ecology Minicourse Registration
Global Change Ecology Minicourse Flyer
STEAM for Space Workshop
STEAM4Space
Discover how the artistry and storytelling of NASA mission patches can spark curiosity and deepen engagement in STEAM. By exploring the origin stories behind real mission emblems, you’ll see how tactile and visual experiences connect students to STEM concepts in astronomy, space science, engineering, and more. This session includes strategies, resources, and a patch design activity to promote teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking. Special guest Fred Haise, Apollo 13 astronaut, will join us virtually for a live Q&A to share how STEM saved the Apollo 13 crew. Leave with ready-to-use ideas to bring this unforgettable experience into your classroom.
Location: Buffalo State University, Bacon Hall 115
Dates: Saturday October 25th; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
STEAM for Space Workshop Registration
STEAM for Space Workshop Flyer
Streamline Your Teacher Life with AI Tools!
Mary Howard
Whether you’re creating lesson plans, grading, communicating with families, or designing student activities, AI can help you work smarter, not harder.
What You'll Learn:
✅ How to use AI for planning, differentiation, and content creation
✅ Time-saving hacks for grading, feedback, and classroom communication
✅ Tools for designing visuals, assessments, and engaging student materials
✅ Responsible and ethical AI use in education
Walk away with ready-to-use examples, templates, and confidence to put AI to work for you. Perfect for teachers of all grade levels and content areas with no tech expertise required!
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 259
Dates: Wednesdays October 29th, November 5th, November 12th; 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
AI Tools Minicourse Registration
The Image Above Gives Data About the NYS Master Teacher Program
- 124,000+ students across New York State have a NYS Master Teacher
- There are 921 current Master Teachers
- More than 549 Master Teacher Emeritus
- Giving us a total of 1,470 Master Teachers statewide
- 61% Teach High School
- 15% Teach Middle School
- 15 % Teach Elementary School
- 9% Teach Across Grade Levels
- 100% of the Master Teachers state that their collaboration with other NYS Master Teachers have provided them with professional renewal and inspiration for their work as STEM educators
- 99% of MTs agree that their status as a NYS Master Teachers has increased their opportunities to develop their leadership skills.
- 97% of MTs agree that their experiences in the NYSMTP have increased their opportunities to share their work with teachers in their school or district.
- The percent of High Needs Districts with NYS Master Teachers:
- 100% Large City
- 58% New York City
- 57% Urban/Suburban/ High Needs
- 51% Rural High Needs
The NYSMTP invites applications from eligible K-12 STEM Teachers & Counselors! In 2022, Governor Hochul announced the expansion of the New York State Master Teacher Program to create a cohort of counselors and to encourage more teachers with CTE certificates related to STEM careers projected to be in high demand to apply. The program creates a statewide network of the highest performing educators dedicated to sharing the expertise with peers and attracting the brightest minds to careers in the STEM fields and education. Through participation in the NYSMTP, selected educators engage in professional learning and receive $15,000 stipends annually over four years. Visit suny.edu/masterteacher for detailed information about eligibility and the application process. "New York is home to many talented teachers, and we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to educators across our state." -Governor Hochul
The NYS Master Teacher Program invites outstanding, experienced K012 STEM teachers and K-12 counselors who are committed to: reflection, continuous professional growth, collaboration, creating and sustaining a supportive and engaging learning environment, excellence in STEM education for all students, and making a difference within and beyond schools to apply for a four-year Master Teacher fellowship. Governor Hochul said, "I'm proud to announce the expansion of the Master Teacher network and the open application for the next round of STEM teachers and counselors.". A NYS Master Teacher said, "The experiences I had [with the Program] inspired me to bring back to my classroom the plethora of ideas and examples that fellow educators shared, that supported me in many ways to become a better more effective educator. THAT is what the Master Teacher Program does best.
"Since 2013, New York's Master Teacher program has recognized our state's most talented and dedicated educators for their persistence in engaging students in STEM fields. These teachers are instrumental in the development of our future leaders, and it is a privilege to recognize them every year."