From Resident to Lead Teacher by Rebecca Racine

Almost five years ago I began the East Harlem Teaching Residency (EHTR). As a career-changer, I left my office job to begin a journey into teaching. It was one of the best choices I could have made.

The Residency was often hard work, and days were long. Building relationships with students in my after-school classroom and in my mentor teacher’s classroom were highlights of the experience. The combination of graduate coursework and professional development from EHTR’s supportive leadership built a strong foundation for setting up a classroom, planning instruction, and creating a classroom community. Lessons that I learned in my residency year still inform my practice to this day. 

When I began my first year as a first-grade teacher at East Harlem Scholars Academy, the Residency helped me to feel prepared. Other first-year educators, I later learned, did not receive the training and support I had received as a Resident. There is nothing quite like the challenge of your first year of teaching. However, having the Residency under my belt and the continued support of a mentor teacher in the school building helped me to build success in the classroom that first year.

 Last year, I was given the opportunity to become a mentor to new teacher residents as a Clinical Instructor. I was excited to have the opportunity to share what I have learned in my years since the Residency with new prospective teachers. The experience of being a Clinical Instructor helped me to further my pedagogy and practice by having to make my practice public. I developed skills to coach the residents in my classroom and become a resource and partner for them as they developed their own practice, even in a virtual space!

 Today all three of the residents I worked with last year are working as first-year teachers in the organization. I look forward to seeing them use their Residency foundation to create a successful first year!