Helping hands

READY FOR CLASS — Rann Elementary first grade bilingual teacher Mario Talavera puts the final touches on his classroom. Talavera is one of many teachers who has partcipated in DISD’s teacher mentorship program. BRENDAN MARCHAND/WCMESSENGER

In a day and age where teachers are trying to fight battles out of their control – salaries and attacks on public education at the forefront of them all – schools are faced with the issues of hiring and retaining educators. 

The Texas Tribune reported that since the 2011-2012 school year, about 10 percent of teachers in Texas have left the profession each year. After a dip to nine percent in 2020-2021, the number rose to 12 percent in the 2021-2022 school year.

After instituting mentorship programs across Decatur ISD, with a focus on first-year teachers, DISD Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Michelle Wooten is trying to reverse this trend at the local level.

Wooten said that the idea for starting a mentorship program in DISD came from her previous experience as a principal in Lewisville ISD.

“I did it at my campus when I was a principal, and pretty much everyone in Lewisville was doing it. It continually improved and became more structured year after year,” Wooten said. “When I got to

SETTING UP — Rann Elementary first grade teacher Sarah Whetsell unboxes supplies to decorate her room for the first day of school. BRENDAN MARCHAND/WCMESSENGER

Decatur, it was definitely something that I wanted to introduce here, because I could see the benefits year after year.”

Wooten explained that each first-year teacher will meet with her and the Teaching and Learning department once a month, where they discuss and troubleshoot common problems for those new to the profession. They will loosely discuss a new theme each meeting, with teachers given assignments and tasks to help establish good practices.

A key part in the program’s success is that Wooten sets aside time for new teachers to talk about anything they want, whether it be classroom management advice or just simply decompressing.

“I think that may just be the most valuable part of all of this,” Wooten said. “It gives them the opportunity to sit in a small group of other educators, talk freely about any issues they may be having and work through it together. It helps them know that they have a community to turn to and makes them feel less alone.”

Wooten has also given assistant principals Tammy Allen and Annalysa Elledge the opportunity to work in the mentorship program. She said that as both work on their doctoral degrees and dissertations, it will be a “win-win” for everyone involved.

“It not only helps the district out by having these two great assistant principals guide new teachers, but it also helps them learn and grow as educators as well,” Wooten said.

More often than not, teachers who participated in the first-year academy return to help Wooten as mentors to the new batch of educators. Second and third-year teachers will sit on a panel and field questions from the new teachers, ranging from their toughest challenges to their proudest accomplishments. Wooten said that it’s proof that the program is working, and exemplifies the dedication to teaching that these educators are fostering within themselves and others.

“The group that I have coming back to talk on the panel – they’ve been with me for two years, and have grown extremely close,” Wooten said. “Bringing them back to mentor others puts them in a new leadership role, and to me, that shows our people are growing. It helps improve the entire district.”