TRRE Culminating Graduate Celebration - June 2022

 

Tom Schram, TRRE Faculty in Residence with TRRE Graduates

UNH Teacher Residency for Rural Education (TRRE) has been an incredible journey! As Tom Schram so poignantly described in his closing at the TRRE Advisory Board meeting in June, it is the journey, not the statistics, charts or maps that truly represent the TRRE impact, it is the people in school partner districts supporting the program and the TRRE graduates making a difference each day in education. 

TRRE Graduates from three out of the four cohorts gathered on June 18 at the Common Man Inn in Plymouth NH. TRREople (TRRE-people) shared lessons learned as first year teachers, celebrated TRRE graduates’ impact in rural partner schools, recognized the value of the professional TRRE network and explored future induction support opportunities for summer and beyond grant funding which ends in September 2022.  

TRRE Graduates shared their experiences as first year teachers. Whether a 2019 or 2021 TRRE graduate, common themes of the challenge becoming a beginning educator emerged. Upon reflection, new teachers recognized the importance of establishing norms and routines during the first six weeks of school. TRRE Graduates pondered how to practice and learn the dynamics of co-teaching with other professionals (e.g., special education teachers and paraprofessionals) in their classroom as part of teacher preparation. Most TRRE Graduates wished they could have prepared their first-year classroom curriculum in advance. And graduates expressed a common desire for continued observations and feedback during the first year. Everyone agreed that the yearlong residency was a critical component of their readiness to teach. TRRE Cohort 2 (2019) graduate, Alayna Signorello, encouraged the newer teachers that they would find their comfort zone teaching by their third year. 

Leslie Couse, TRRE PI, and Tom Scram, TRRE Faculty in Residence, recognized the TRRE graduates. Their message: “You, as an educator, are making a difference in New Hampshire. The last six years have been exciting, challenging and fulfilling. While TRRE funding is ending in September, our successes together of preparing 35 STEM focused teachers for rural NH will continue in many ways. The lessons of our work together will inform the future of teacher preparation not only here in New Hampshire but on a national level for the TRRE partnership is a pioneer in rural teacher residency programs. Your participation in TRRE and work in rural partner schools has been key to building a community that values rural teacher preparation. We recognize you are creative, caring and dedicated professionals and celebrate your work in education.”