As part of UT Elementary’s mission to “provide opportunities for professional development and outreach for the University’s academic units,” many teachers are assigned a pre-service teacher, intern, or student teacher from the College of Education to learn from role-model teachers who model research-based practices. This mentorship has been described as “phenomenal” and “rewarding” from many former partners. In fact, a number of College of Education graduates have gone on to become full-time teaching staff at UT Elementary, such as: Scarlett Calvin, Noura Wakim, Erin Green, and the school’s newest addition – Kameron Koeffler.
In the Spring of 2016, Koeffler interned until the mentorship of 3rd grade teacher and former instructional coach, Michelle Hernandez. He also spent time learning and working with 3rd grade Math and Science Teacher, Noura Wakim. This allowed him to gain experience in multiple teaching styles from experts working at UT Elementary prior to finishing his degree.
“In addition to general advice, helpful templates, and differentiating lessons, one of the best things that Ms. Hernandez allowed me to do was gain experience from trial and error,” Koeffler said. “I had full control of the arrangement of the classroom, the creativity of the lessons, and multiple opportunities for daily discussions and feedback sessions. We discovered that bouncing ideas off each other as a team not only improved the quality of my teaching practice but enhanced the overall experience for the students.”
Koeffler graduated with honors from the UT Special Education program in 2016 after interning at several schools and educational settings around Austin. However, his heart remained at UT Elementary. “UTES was not a typical experience from an elementary school. From day one, I felt accepted by the school community, free to be creative, and truly appreciated for my efforts by teachers, parents, and students alike,” he said.
Furthermore, Koeffler explained that while interviewing for teaching positions in several other districts, “[I] constantly caught myself comparing the schools to UTES – especially when it came to the unique ‘Specials’ classes, sense of community, and even the quality of the food! The thought of trying to gain a sense of belonging seemed so effortless at UTES. Once a Longhorn, always a Longhorn!” Koeffler later won the “Rookie of The Year,” award for the 2016-2017 school year.
