A recent survey of students taught by Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows found that students' self-reported class engagement has increased since September 2019, the last time the survey was administered. However, students also indicated a decrease in grit, or the ability to persevere in order to achieve a goal. These results suggest that students may be excited by the return to in-person learning but may struggle to stay on task.
Fall Workshops Focused on CFUs, Teacher Wellness
Once a month, our fellows meet with their coach in regional cohorts for small-group professional development workshops focused on teaching skills and emotional resilience. For the 2021-22 school year, these sessions have focused on formative assessment and teacher mindfulness specifically.
Peer Learning Takes Spotlight at Second All Corps PD
On November 6th, we welcomed our fellows to our second All Corps professional development event of the 2021-22 school year. Grounded in our core value of continual learning, the day featured ATC alumni facilitating content-specific sessions and allowed current fellows the opportunity to facilitate skill-based sessions for their peers.
9 Selected for 2022 Cohort After 1st Deadline
ATC staff recently completed the selection process for our first application deadline of the year. For the Nov 1 expedited deadline, we received 20 applications, interviewed 13 applicants, and offered 9 fellowships for the 2022 cohort.
ATC Recruitment Hits the Airwaves
It's been a busy first semester for ATC's newest recruiter, Whitney Carter, as she has hit the road crisscrossing the state to get the word out about Arkansas Teacher Corps! From Jonesboro to Helena to Pine Bluff, hear Whitney's cheerful voice on your favorite radio station encouraging you to apply.
Now Accepting Applications for Summer Staff
Planning for Summer Institute 2022 is already underway! While we are still working to iron out logistics for the coming summer, we are excited to announce the first round of summer staff hiring. Matt Caston, ATC director of institute, will be hosting an informational session about the summer staff roles on Monday, November 8 at 4:30pm.
ATC Staff Set 2021-22 Goals at Team Retreat
Meeting together in-person for the first time since February 2021, the Arkansas Teacher Corps staff met at the beautiful DeGray Lake State Park Resort in Bismarck, AR for a beginning-of-year kickoff retreat. Over the course of two days, the ATC team learned more about each other, normed on expectations for communication and collaboration, and set shared goals for recruiting and retaining even more fellows in the Arkansas Delta.
Self-Care, Community Critical for Virtual Institute
Planning and executing a virtual summer institute for novice teachers is no easy task. While maintaining some critical elements of years past, Summer Institute 2021 had a more intentional focus on self-care and community building.
Fellows Build Skills, Community at First All-Corps PD
On Saturday, September 18 we convened all fellows of the Arkansas Teacher Corps for the first time of the 2021-2022 school year. The All-Corps event was 5 hours of professional development focused on building a collective experience for our fellows who have been virtual since February 2020.
ATC Hires 2 Alumni as New Staff
Arkansas Teacher Corps is excited to announce two new hires for the 2021-22 school year! Whitney Carter and Jamie Powell were 2018 ATC Fellows and just completed the 3-year fellowship this past May. Both have worked with ATC in part-time roles supporting incoming first-year teachers at the summer institute. Their experiences as fellows will be an invaluable asset to ATC as we work to recruit, train, and retain an even larger cohort of teacher-fellows in the Arkansas Delta!