Mountain Brook Schools held its annual New Teacher Orientation July 18-22 welcoming 47 new teachers to the district. Throughout the week, the MBS administrators worked with new teachers to explain the district’s purpose statement and what it means to provide an effective, challenging, and engaging education for every one of our students.
“While things like onboarding and entry-level checklist items need to be completed, we focus on the teacher as a whole and welcome them into our district by teaching our purpose and values,” MBS Professional Development Specialist Holly Martin said. “We spend five days growing not as individuals, but as a group of leaders with a common purpose.”
A welcome session allowed new teachers to meet one another along with all the school administrators. An emphasis was placed on community as new teachers had plenty of opportunities to work with those inside and outside of their specific school.
“I was not expecting to have such a rich, professional development experience,” MBHS librarian Amy Jackson said. “I felt really uplifted as a professional.”
MBS provides a mentor teacher for each new teacher to help him/her walk through their first two years at Mountain Brook. New teachers spent time with their mentors at the annual new teacher breakfast as well as at their local school.
“There is an emphasis on the ‘we’ at our New Teacher Orientation,” MBS Superintendent Dr. Dicky Barlow said. “Teachers join Mountain Brook and we want them to feel not only welcomed but part of our culture as leaders and designers of work. To be a leader, it’s imperative that each person know our values.”
The middle of the week provided new teachers the chance to take a closer look at what effective, challenging, and engaging education looks like for every one of our students along with the concept of student voice.
“I learned about teachers and students working together to achieve learning,” Jackson said. “We discussed the importance of student voice and how a collaborative learning environment can foster growth and learning.”
Towards the end of the week, all new teachers split off into groups to visit various stations around the central office. Select students and parents plus all district department leaders met with new teacher groups to answer any questions they had about the week.
“We got to sit down and talk to the superintendent,” Jackson said. “I’ve never had a superintendent be that approachable and down to earth. This is such a special place and the whole week helped set the tone for what it will be like to work here.”
Mountain Brook Schools will welcome students back on Wednesday, August 10. For more information, visit www.mtnbrook.k12.al.usand follow @mtnbrookschools on social media.
--Submitted by Mountain Brook City Schools
