New Teacher Academy completes eighth year of supporting new educators

August 3, 2021 — DENTON — The New Teacher Academy (NTA) at Texas Woman’s University welcomed more than 165 new educators this summer.

The ever-growing event, developed in 2014 by Sarah McMahan, PhD, and Rebecca Fredrickson, EdD, in the Department of Teacher Education, was online for the second consecutive year. McMahan said more participants were actively engaged this year.

Drake Lawson, a 2021 Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) graduate who will begin teaching at Harpool Middle School in Denton this year, said it was as effective and helpful as ever.

“I absolutely loved the educational opportunity the New Teacher Academy provided me. I will take away tips and tricks for first-day classroom management and more,” Lawson said. “This gave me a lot of confidence as I head into the classroom.”

The New Teacher Academy is a collective partnership with iteachTexas, an alternative certification program that provides extra mentoring support and professional development to TWU graduates and iteachTexas candidates who are beginning their first years of teaching.

The 2021 virtual NTA gave participants opportunities to engage in targeted sessions focused on enhancing readiness for the first few years of teaching. It included strategies to prepare for the first few weeks of school and more.

“One presenter talked about how she saw a video on TikTok about encouraging appropriate behaviors in the classroom and implemented this idea with her middle school students,” said McMahan. “She elaborated on what she did and how it worked to enhance her learners’ engagement in her class. This strategy gave participants ideas on how they could use the technique and adapt it for any grade level.”

In addition to helpful tips and direction from presenters, the NTA is also an opportunity for new teachers to engage with others in the same situation.

“The NTA will help me become a better teacher because I know that I’m not alone,” Lawson said. “There are a ton of other first-year teachers and veteran educators who are willing to help me as I begin my career in teaching.”

Page last updated 9:14 AM, February 14, 2022