LU partners with Hamshire-Fannett ISD to prepare future educators

Blue and gold won’t be the only colors running through the halls of Hamshire-Fannett campuses this semester. Lamar University teacher residents will be matched with mentors as they take on the school year from August to May. 

This is the LU College of Education and Human Development’s second residency partnership with a school district in the last two years. Last year, the residency program went through its pilot year when students completed the year-long program on Beaumont ISD campuses. 

Students who are enrolled in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction's educator preparation program can complete their year-long residency or semester-long clinical teaching – formerly known as student-teaching. 

In the current residency programs, students earn a $20,000 stipend, have access to health insurance, earn their first year of Texas Retirement System (TRS), gain exemption from the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility (PPR) state certification exam, and receive the Enhanced Residency Certificate through Texas. 

Senior interdisciplinary studies student, Maria Munoz, was one of the students selected to complete her residency at Hamshire-Fannett. 

“I'm looking forward to the experience of being in a classroom for an entire school year and meeting students. I am also looking forward to comparing how they start the school year to how they finish.” Munoz said. “I’m excited to get the feeling of knowing what I’m really getting into, getting to see students daily, and see their emotions.”  

One of the chosen mentor teachers is Kimberly Williamson, a kindergarten teacher at Hamshire-Fannett Elementary with over two decades of experience in the classroom.  

The LU alumna (B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies ‘99) is looking forward to sharing her 24 years of experience with her mentee, senior interdisciplinary studies major, Adriana Wong.  

“I’m excited to share my passion and expertise with her all year long, and that she will get to see the amazing progress,” Williamson said. "My goals as a mentor are to show her the good, bad, and ugly with regards to the academic and behavioral aspects of teaching and watch her in action.” 

The transformation process from a single semester clinical teaching model to a year-long residency model was made possible through a University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP) grant, which aims to attract, train, and retain high quality teachers for underserved communities across the country. The organization serves as a technical service provider to LU’s Educator Prep Program. 

“US PREP has facilitated the process for both partnerships, and we anticipate having the same success at Hamshire-Fannett ISD that we experienced with Beaumont ISD.  All eight residents who completed their residency last school year expressed their belief that a year-long residency has prepared them to assume responsibility for their own classroom,” Jody Slaughter, College of Education and Human Development director of school and community partnerships, said.  

Throughout the school year, residents are regularly assessed informally through walkthroughs, recorded mini-teaching sessions, and coaching. They are formally assessed through the POP Cycle which involves a preconference, observation, and post-conference. 

“The residency program has been such a blessing for me, and I can't believe how much I have learned in just a few short weeks. I know by the end of this school year I will know everything I need and want to know, and I will be even more confident in my teaching abilities,” senior interdisciplinary studies student, Ashlin Stinson said. “My students already mean so much to me and participating in the residency program was the best choice that I have ever made. I love all the teachers, staff, and admin.” 

Want to learn more about the College of Education and Human Development? See for yourself at https://www.lamar.edu/education/index.html.