Published: October 12, 2009 10:52 pm      

Greater Clark County Schools program helps new teachers transition to district

Years of college didn’t prepare Kelli Dehr for the reality of teaching.

“They can’t prepare you for it,” Dehr said, adding that student teaching isn’t the same as being the only teacher in the room. “You have 20 faces staring at you on your first day and you realize, they’re mine — my responsibility for seven hours of the day.”

Dehr is one of the approximately 30 new teachers at Greater Clark County Schools, according to Mariane Fisher, supervisor of instruction. To help those teachers deal with the transition from school to teaching or for those who are just new to the district, Fisher heads up a year-long New Teacher Induction Program for the district, where they talk about teaching strategies, problems they face and more.

On Monday, Fisher focused the monthly meeting on strategies in the classroom that works.

However, she started off the meeting getting feedback.

“Anything that happened since our last meeting that was good and we want to celebrate?” Fisher asked the group of 12 that showed.

“We survived!” a few said in unison, with a chuckle.

Fisher then talked to the group more about their victories and challenges, such as analyzing ISTEP data, before starting the lesson on strategies, which included having students identify similarities and differences, homework grading and feedback that gets results and generating and testing hypotheses.

This program, which started in 2006, helps more than just the instruction. It helps retention, Fisher said.

“Basically, the whole intent is to stay connected with our new hires, because we lose quite a few of our new hires within those first few years, because they feel disconnected,” Fisher said. “This is so that they don’t feel so alone.”

Teachers receive a stipend for going to the meetings and treats, Fisher said. Monday’s meeting featured an array of orange snacks, apple cider, brightly colored vampire teeth and door prizes.

“It’s fun for me,” Fisher said. “It’s like having a classroom again.”

Teachers said it works for them too.

“Overall, the support I get from the school and through the district through these meetings are so very helpful,” said first-year teacher Angie Kirkham. “I realize I’m not the only one that feels there aren’t enough hours in a day ... and I know what’s expected of us.”

“I’m new to the district so I want to learn more about what the focus is for the district,” said Anita Sego, who has taught for six years. “So, if they are offering training, I want to go.”

“The fact they are taking the time to do this, it shows us they are investing in us as new teachers,” Dehr said. “It’s hard going into a building and starting something new and not having any support and this allows us support from the administration as well as other teachers.”

Many teachers said they use that extra training time to collaborate with one another to share and receive tips to use in the classroom.

Fisher said she’s happy with the response the program has gotten thus far and hopes even more take advantage of the program.