The start of the school year is always a mix of excitement and anticipation, but for 45 first-year teachers at Frenship ISD, it marks the beginning of a career in teaching. To aid the new educators in navigating the challenges and rewards of teaching, Frenship ISD established the First Year Teacher Academy.
The goal of the academy is to introduce first-year teachers to the culture of Frenship ISD and begin to equip them with the information, connections, strategies, and support needed to meet the needs of their students—and themselves—during the first days, weeks, and throughout their first year of teaching.
Malli Travis, Frenship ISD Coordinator of Social Studies, leads the group of first-year teachers through the academy. She dedicates three full days before the school year begins to prepare them for their new roles. During this time, she focuses on key aspects of effective teaching, classroom organization, meet-the-teacher nights, lesson planning, behavior management, and establishing procedures and expectations for the classroom.
Reagan Taylor, a first-year teacher at Frenship High School, stated that the academy was instrumental in her preparation as a new educator.
“The First Year Teacher Academy helped me prepare for the school year by creating procedures and expectations for my classroom ahead of time and how and when to set them,” said Taylor. “It also helped prepare me for what to expect and gave me a "toolbox" of things to be able to use for the first day.”
The First Year Teacher Academy will continue to meet during the school year for continual professional development on multiple topics such as walkthroughs and evaluations, special education, assessment, engagement in the classroom, and moving into year two.
In addition to the academy, Frenship continues to support the first-year teachers with classroom visits and personal contacts through email, texts, or phone calls. Travis stated that ongoing support is crucial for new teachers as they navigate their first year.
“The success of each of our teachers whether they are first-years or veterans is extremely important to us and we want to ensure they have the materials and support needed to have a successful year,” said Travis.
The first-year teachers are a diverse group, spanning from recent college graduates to seasoned professionals who are transitioning into education with alternate certifications. During their time at the academy, the group had several opportunities to learn about each other and connect as a community of first-time educators.
Travis stated her favorite part of the First Year Teacher Academy is working with each new teacher coming into the profession.
“They all bring such enthusiasm and excitement, and a little bit of nerves. Their energy re-energizes me each year and I love being able to work with each of them to build their capacities,” said Travis. “Each year is a new adventure and being able to find fresh and new ideas to help these first-year teachers always starts off my year with such positive energy!”
At this year’s Frenship Convocation, all first-year teachers were entered into a raffle for a $250 classroom cash prize, thanks to a supportive initiative by Yates Flooring. The company reached out to Frenship with a plan to assist new educators.
In front of 1,400 of her peers, Taylor’s name was drawn out of all the first-year teachers. She was completely shocked as her fellow teachers cheered for her.
Taylor expressed her gratitude for the classroom cash, noting that it will allow her to purchase materials to enrich her lesson plans.
“I love hands on projects and activities, with that comes a lot of supplies and I am grateful to have the support to be able to purchase them,” said Taylor. “I would like to thank Yates Flooring for believing in not only me but all first-year teachers and supporting us through this incredible and crazy journey that will change lives.”