ATC Fellow Featured in Book “Relate, Then Educate”

Arkansas Teacher Corps 2018 fellow Tonya Bobo is one of sixteen educators who have been featured in a recently published book, Relate, Then Educate: The Untold Stories of Teachers, by Teachers. Tonya is a long-time educator who has taught elementary education in several central Arkansas school districts and has also served as an elementary content leader for ATC, mentoring other fellows teaching elementary grade levels.

Fellows Take Moment for Mindfulness at 3rd PD

On Saturday, February 11, Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows and staff met at Chicot Elementary in Little Rock for the third All Corps professional development of the 2022-23 year. The all-day event began with a mindfulness session led by a guest facilitator from the social-emotional learning non-profit Breathe For Change in the morning, followed by content-specific development and equity after lunch. Overall, 90% of fellows reported experiencing a moment of mindfulness during the Breathe for Change session and growing as a facilitator of their content.

Survey Assesses Students’ Social-Emotional Readiness

A recent survey of students taught by Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows found that students’ self-reported grit has increased since September 2021 when the fall survey was last administered and grit was rated the overall lowest. Students again rated self-management and instruction as the highest overall with little change from before. However, students also indicated a decrease in growth mindset, or the belief that a person's intelligence and abilities can be improved through new learning, challenge, and practice.

ATC Staff, Fellows Attend Education Innovation Rally

On September 26-27, Arkansas Teacher Corps staff and fellows attended the 2022 Education Innovation Rally in Hot Springs, AR hosted by the U of A’s Office of Innovation for Education. ATC executive director Brandon Lucius and ATC director of institute Matthew Caston led breakout sessions on teacher retention and team leadership respectively. ATC teacher coach Kendra Ide, recruiter Whitney Carter, summer equity co-facilitator Dasnee McChristian, and fellows Ava Hollins-Rogers (ATC ’20) and Tyler Lewis (ATC ’20) were also in attendance.

ATC Staff Hold Team Retreat at DeGray Lake

Arkansas Teacher Corps staff gathered on September 12-14 for a retreat at DeGray Lake State Park in Bismarck, AR. For new staff and returning team members alike, the three-day retreat provided the perfect opportunity to get to know each other, reconnect, and build community among our team. From core values to program expectations to PD logistics, the ATC team is ready for the 2022-23 year!

Arkansas Teacher Corps Named UA Outstanding Team

Arkansas Teacher Corps was awarded the annual Outstanding Team Award for 2021 by the University of Arkansas Staff Senate. This honor celebrates ATC's successful transition to a new virtual coaching platform in response to the COVID-19 pandemic while increasing the amount of feedback per fellow and fellows' overall satisfaction with coaching.