Support for new teachers makes a difference

Approximately 1,600 educators were invited to participate in a recent professional learning where they were able to collaborate with their peers while learning about the new STAAR item types, best practices for small group instruction, and multiple response strategies to strengthen student engagement during instruction.

The Professional and Digital Learning team hosted this after-school professional development as a support for teachers new to the profession and new to Dallas ISD. And several teachers who attended agreed that the support provided to new teachers in Dallas ISD makes a difference.

Edgar Vazquez, a fifth-grade math and science teacher at H.S. Thompson STEAM Academy, was among the attendees. He became a teacher thanks to Dallas ISD’s Alternative Certification program and said “it just felt right” to return to the district as he is a product of Dallas ISD. 

While he is just a few months into the classroom, he said he is enjoying all the opportunities he’s had to connect with his students and transform lives every day. 

“If you are going into teaching, I would recommend Dallas ISD,” Vazquez said. “There is a lot of support, and if you have that passion and you want to make an impact, then, yes, teaching is worth it.”

Chai Gibert, a second grade teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Boys at John F. Kennedy Learning Center, agreed that the support she has received as a first-year teacher at Dallas ISD has been great.

With a mentor teacher and an instructional coach providing her with regular feedback, resources and recommendations and with the backing of her campus team, Gibert said the transition into teaching has been “pretty easy.”  

“We basically have a cohort,” Gibert said. “I know a lot of new teachers just from doing trainings, and I see their faces a lot. It’s pretty cool to see people in similar positions and familiar faces on campus or who come to other meetings. It creates camaraderie.” 

Jaci Rozear, who teaches reading at George Herbert Walker Bush Elementary School, said she is grateful to be on a team alongside veteran teachers who have been supporting her in her mission to “help students find their voice” in and out of the classroom.

Those teachers, along with the district’s professional development trainings dedicated to new teachers, have helped her master content areas like reading and grammar while providing instructional support to fill in gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic and specific student concerns. 

“I would recommend Dallas ISD,” Rozear said. “I feel like sometimes it’s a little daunting because it’s a larger district, but I do feel supported.”

If you know any interested new teachers, encourage them to apply today and gain a teaching position where they are needed the most by visiting https://www.dallasisd.org/CAREERS. 

To learn more about professional development opportunities, visit the Professional and Digital Learning page at https://www.dallasisd.org/pdl.