Spring 2022

Volume 2, Issue 2

Completing The Transition

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
First-year teacher, and former teaching resident in
the Carolina Transition to Teaching program, Cas-
sandra Hair loves the connections she’s made with the
other residents in the Colleton and Orangeburg areas. She
shares, “The residents that were with me from the Colleton
area, as well as the Orangeburg area, we stay in touch week-
ly. We send each other texts with encouraging words and
thoughts. Or, just to send a ‘Hi! How are you doing?’ ”

In the program, participants attend the University of

South Carolina (UofSC) and earn an M.Ed. in Teach-
ing after a 18-month residency. Residents teach along-
side a elementary classroom teacher for the entire duration
of the school year in rural South Carolina communities.
Cassandra Hair
Of the program coursework, Cassandra highlights her math-
ematics methods course as important for her confidence and
foundation as a math teacher. Cassandra says, “The most
important coursework I took in the program has to be Dr.
Harbour’s class—hands down. And I say that, because if you’re anything like me, I despised math. But
the way she instructed the math content and made it engaging is the reason why I now have a new
positive outlook about math and am currently a 4th grade math teacher.”

Cassandra is one of the twelve teaching residents from the first cohort of the program and now cur-
rently in her induction year of teaching. When asked about the program, she replies, “Carolina
Transition to Teaching was essential to me getting in the classroom, because it served as
a gateway for me to smoothly transition out of one career into the career of teacher.”

The Carolina Transition to Teaching leadership team provides opportunities to support the teaching
residents in their academic, professional, and emotional journey to becoming teachers. In addition, INSIDE THIS ISSUE
residents are provided a living-wage stipend to complete the immersive program. When asked what
advice she would give to future residents, or those considering applying Cassandra shares, “Find what
Spring Book Study ...................... 2
drives you, and magnify that so you can be the best you that you can possibly be. And, I promise you, District Highlight ...................... 2
others will see your good works and sing your praises!” PDS Serve Presentation.............. 3
District Highlight ....................... 4

ABOUT US Our Residents ............................. 4

Built-In Praxis Supports............. 4
Carolina Transition to Teaching is a teacher preparation program that immerses teacher resi-
dents in the life of a teacher through extensive, school-based experiences within rural schools and Virtual Field Trip........................ 4
rural school communities. Similar to rounds within a teaching hospital, Carolina Teaching Resi- Celebrations ............................... 5
dents engage in teaching and learning through guided enactments situated in authentic elementary Recruitment ............................... 5
classroom contexts. These guided experiences occur within UofSC coursework alongside experienced
mentor teachers and UofSC faculty. Connect With Us! ...................... 6

Carolina Teaching Residents are coached, guided, and supported throughout their resi-
dency in a manner that prepares them to be responsive educators within localized rural SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
contexts. These supports attend to the relational, logistical, and conceptual aspects of teaching and
learning. Carolina Transition to Teaching Residency provides financial supports to residents during • How does our program sup-
the 18-month graduate program. Carolina Transition to Teaching Residency is committed to port coaching teachers and
preparing quality teachers ready to teach in rural South Carolina contexts. schools?

• How can rural districts best

support preservice teachers?

• What are the interactions be-

tween teaching residents and
their communities?

1

“I am looking forward to learning more about strategies to be a supportive and effective
university supervisor. I have a lot to share, but also a lot to learn!” - Amber Adgerson
DISTRICT PARTNER
SPOTLIGHT
Colleton County School District
strives to provide a safe and
positive environment with effec-
tive leadership, teaching, and
learning for all students to suc-
cessfully meet the profile of the
SC Graduate.
MISSION
Colleton County School District
will prepare every student to
graduate with a 21st century
education to be globally compet-
itive for their chosen college
and/or career path.
VISION
Colleton County School District
will be a world-class
school system that ensures all
students achieve at high levels.
2
THE ART OF COACHING
In this book, author Elena Aguilar offers a model for
transformational coaching designed for new and
veteran coaches, teacher leaders, mentors, principals,
and other administrators.
It “demystifies the process of coaching with easy-to-
apply, immediately actionable ideas” and “covers how
to create a coaching vision, build trust, listen well,
ask powerful questions, and develop a work plan” to
“develop an educator's practice”.
COACHING TEACHER
BOOK STUDY
Coaching teachers, program faculty, and university supervisors will take part in
a book study for the rest of the 2021-2022 school year for the book, The Art of
Coaching, by Elena Aguilar. The book study will meet throughout the 2022
Spring semester. Participants will read and discuss the book during monthly
after-school Zoom sessions.
The book study sessions will be led by program leaders Dr. Shelly Curcio and
Dr. Kristin Harbour. This book study was offered to all coaching teachers, affili-
ated faculty, and university supervisors affiliated with the Carolina Transition
to Teaching program. Books have been provided to each participant in partner-
ing districts.
During the book study, participants will learn more about best practices for the
coaching and evaluation of teaching residents. Participants will also learn how
to use questions and research-based strategies to strengthen their effectiveness
in supervisory and mentorship roles.
Each book study will encourage participants to set goals and allow participants
an opportunity to collaborate and share within smaller groups based on their
specific school sites and grade-level bands.
Western Carolina University — wcu.edu

2021 PDS SERVE CONFERENCE

This year's Professional Development Schools Southeastern Regional Vision for
Education (PDS SERVE) Conference took place through a hybrid format on Friday,
October 1st— Saturday, October, 2nd 2021. Sessions took place online and at
Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The theme of the
meeting was “Rethinking the 3Rs: Renewing, Reimagining, and Revitalizing School- The PDS Southeastern Region-
University Partnerships”. al Vision for Education (PDS
SERVE), is a non-profit organ-
The Carolina Transition to Teaching leadership team presented their session
ization, which was organized
virtually. Their session was entitled “Mitigating Rural Teacher Shortages: The
to provide an affordable place
Conceptualization of a Responsive Teacher Preparation Program Within a School-
for teams of local or regional
University Partnership”.
PDS teacher-scholars, princi-
Their paper titled, Using Improvement Science to Implement and Evaluate a pals, and university research-
Teacher Residency Program in Rural School Districts, was presented during the ers to present their work.
Rural Teaching and Rural Teacher Preparation session.
The work of PDS SERVE is
During the presentation, session participants learned about mitigating struc-tures collaboratively accomplished
such as the application of equity and diversity in the form of responsive and fluid by its membership with the
advisory, teacher recruitment, attendance to social emotional learn-ing, social focus on promotion and advo-
media campaigns, K-12 student programming, and the need for the monetary cacy for school-university part-
support of teaching residents. The session ended with a question-and -answer nerships primarily within the
protocol during which the program leaders and session participants engaged with
the session topics Professional Development
Schools framework.
The team is thankful to PDS SERVE for the opportunity to share their successes!
https://pds-serve.org/

3
 DISTRICT PARTNER AT A GLANCE—OUR RESIDENTS
SPOTLIGHT
Orangeburg School Dis-
trict is a partnering district
which provides support to
teacher residents in the
program. Led by district
leadership, partner schools
work with UofSC staff to
support coaching teachers
and residents through the
18-month residency.
MISSION
Orangeburg County School
District, through the use of
innovative ideas and prac-
tices, will prepare our stu- PRAXIS SUPPORTS
dents to become produc-
tive members of society. The Carolina Transition to Teaching Residency is committed to supporting our residents
through the recruitment, preparation, and induction phases of their careers. In addition to
VISION coursework leading to an M.Ed., and micro-credentials leading to certification, PRAXIS II
supports have been a major component of our systematic support structure residents re-
Orangeburg County School ceive throughout their Carolina Transition to Teaching residency. The PRAXIS support
continues as residents enter their classrooms during the induction phase of their careers.
District, a district of inno-
vation, is committed to Here are just a few of the great resources that have been provided to our resi-
dents thus far:
maximizing the potential
of every student to com- • Individual and Group Praxis Preparation Sessions
pete worldwide. • Practice Praxis Test Waivers

• Test Registration Assistance

VIRTUAL COMMUNITY FIELD TRIP

During the fall semester, the teaching resi-
dents participated in the first “First Fri-
day” virtual community field trip to ex-
plore the student, family, school, and com-
munity supports local to Orangeburg and
Colleton county school districts.
This innovative and immersive community
-responsive classroom experience also
allowed the residents to explore local com-
munity-school partnerships and the roles
community plays in schools and class-
rooms.

This inaugural virtual class exercise, creat-
ed and implemented by the Transition to
Teaching faculty, allowed teaching resi-
dents to engage with the community via
virtual resources.
The title of the first virtual community
field trip module was Exploring Commu-
nity, and the residents read articles,
viewed a digital read-aloud, analyzed local
culture and history, and engaged in critical
4 self-reflection.
At the conclusion of the field trip, residents
were asked to reflect on their local experi-
ences and what they learned throughout
the class exercise.
One resident reflected, “[I]t takes a
village to raise kids, so I'm a part of
this village, my family is here, and
my kids have graduated from the
high school here, so I'm ready to give
back to the community that raised
my children.”
 INTERESTED IN
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR
OUR PROGRAM? TEACHING RESIDENTS FOR A
What? SUCCESSFUL
We have several Facebook Live and FIRST SEMESTER!
Zoom informational sessions
Scheduled throughout 2022!
Join us to learn more
Lorraina Badger
about our program! Erica Grant
Where?
Charlotte Green
To find out about our next infor-
mation sessions, visit us on our Leroy Harley
Facebook Page at
https://www.facebook.com/
CarolinaTransitiontoTeaching
Tanita Middleton
Or, contact our program manager, Sharon Robinson
Carli Toliver, at
ToliverC@mailbox.sc.edu Elaine White