By ADAM PINSKER
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Westfield Washington Schools wrapped up its inaugural new-educator academy on Tuesday.
It’s designed to prepare teachers for challenges they may face in the classroom and provide them with resources to solve them.
Teacher Kendall Wilkes from Westfield Washington’s Oak Trace Elementary School is the only first-year teacher in the academy.
“I think just all the classroom-management stuff has really surprised me and caught me off guard,” Wilkes said. “I mean, you learn as much as you can in college and student teaching, but it’s just the whole how much you have to think about setting up the classroom, even where you put supplies.”
Each month, the academy has a session, and every new teacher in all nine of the district’s schools participated. Each cohort lasts two years.
Instructional coach Karen Schoonover says topics covered include behavioral management and creating an instructional plan for students.
“So, we might come alongside a teacher for a multiple-week experience, where we’re planning with them and maybe modeling some teaching and giving them feedback,” Schoonover said.
Even veteran teachers like Ken Tucker are required to go through the academy. Tucker taught at Noblesville intermediate and middle schools for 12 years before taking time off to raise his kids. He returned to the profession 1½ years ago at Westfield Washington’s Monon Trail Elementary.
“You think you know everything because you’ve been doing it for over a decade, and then they teach you a different strategy, and, like, wow, and you just can kind of take that into your own classroom,” Tucker said. “But, I think, in terms of what this whole thing’s about is just collaborating.”
In Year 2 of the program, instructional coaches are paired with a teacher to help with professional development and give instant feedback. Tucker says being a good teacher means sometimes you have to deviate from the lesson plan.
“Teaching is kind of like jazz in the sense that you can’t really teach it explicitly,” Tucker said. “You can give people all these different tools, but you have to be able to read the room and read all the people you’re around, and that’s the 24 kids I have in class here.”
Westfield Washington’s teachers union just got a new contract with more financial incentives for teachers with experience. Officials are hoping that will keep educators from leaving the district.
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This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/education/teaching-the-teachers-inaugural-new-educator-academy-wraps-up.