On June 5, UT’s first teacher residency program, Longhorns in Residence, began with its inaugural class of students. Participants in the program can obtain their early childhood education teacher certification in a single year after earning a bachelor’s degree.
According to Sarah Johnson, project manager for teacher residencies, the inaugural cohort completed 60 hours of study and worked 50 hours in their respective school districts before the summer semester ended.
14 students from a variety of educational backgrounds made up the first class, including recent UT and Texas A&M grads as well as individuals in their 40s and 50s with master’s degrees. According to Johnson, participants took lessons asynchronously, but they were also assigned to classrooms in various school districts to get a taste of what it’s like to work in a classroom and collaborate with a host teacher while receiving compensation.
Johnson stated that after finishing their residency, students will work with a class for a full year beginning in the autumn, with the goal of staying with the same school district.
In the Leander Independent School District, Kambry Cook, a resident program participant, worked with children from all over the world who spoke English as a second language. She claimed that seeing how much effort goes into teaching and educating students from all over the world had an impact.
According to Cook, it was amazing to watch all of those children engage and learn about the various aspects of teaching ESL students.
According to Johnson, the program currently collaborates with the Leander, Pflugerville, Austin, and Del Valle Independent School Districts as well as UT Elementary Charter School. The initiative is in talks with the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District near Houston and plans to expand to the Round Rock and Bastrop Independent School Districts the following year.
We will be able to work anywhere in the state of Texas because it is an online coursework approach, Johnson stated. It’s a very effective methodology because we are able to learn about the needs and challenges of district partners through the relationships we develop with them.
According to Emma Fuentes, a program member, icebreakers and group projects allow participants to create a sense of community despite the class being dispersed throughout the state. Cook claimed that the small group enables members to cultivate social and emotional competencies that are applicable to more than just dealing with students.
Cook added, “It’s just a great program.” My whole cohort is really excited about it, and I adore it.
According to Johnson, school districts may incur expenses when collaborating with such a program. But according to her, laws backed the growth of teacher residencies.
Since teacher residences are the gold standard of teacher training, money for them has been made available under a variety of schemes, according to Johnson. After their first year in the classroom, research indicates that they outperform other first-year teachers and outperform students in terms of outcomes.
