Alumni – Page 15 – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

Begin Your Degree in Full Swing

Advice from Kelicia Hollis, IRT ’11 for the Current IRT Cohort

It’s springtime, and flowers aren’t the only things budding. Likely, you too are abloom with the possibilities this fall presents you as you vet graduate school offers. You might be an undergraduate student going “straight through” to a master’s or doctoral degree, or reentering school after time spent caretaking or in the workforce. Whichever it may be, there are a few tips I’d like to impart to ensure you begin your degree in full swing.

As you navigate springtime, think about lovely spring colors such as pinks and lavenders and teals: T-E-A-L-S.

Hanging by a Thread…

By Guadalupe Saldivar, IRT ’14

A colleague once asked me, “How do you do it? How do you manage it all?” She asked after I shared that I was in a Ph.D. program, a mother of a baby girl, and was working full-time. My answer was simple, “I compartmentalize each of my responsibilities”. However, this response felt dismissive and overly simplified. If she were to ask me again, I would have a more helpful answer.

Engage with other IRT alumni on the Alumni Portal!

Share your news with the IRT community with two brand new sections: Cohort Notes & Alumni Stories

The alumni community can only be effective if you engage with each other. Join the network and start connecting!

Build connections and develop your own support network by sharing your experiences with other IRT alumni in two easy ways:

The Cohort Notes section is a quick way to let other alumni know what you are up to. Add your professional, personal updates, search for news on other cohort fellows and remain connected to the IRT.

Check out Alumni Stories if you have more to share! It’s a space designed to include more detail on your research, what you have been up to and where you are headed.

Comments/Feedback?
We would love to hear your feedback and how you are engaging on the IRT alumni platform. Please comment on this post or email us your thoughts so we can better develop the network to work for you!

Alumni Accolades, March 2022

Rachel Ansong, IRT ’14

Rachel’s poetry collection, BLACK BALLAD, published by Bull City Press will be available in Summer 2022. You can preorder a copy or find out more about the author and the collection on Rachel’s website.

Yasmin Elgoharry, IRT ‘14, ’20
Yasmin is a recipient of the University of Connecticut’s (UCONN) Neag School 2022 Alumni Board Scholarship. Yasmin is a doctoral student at UCONN in Leading, Learning & Educational Policy with a concentration in higher education racial justice and decolonization.

Elizabeth Gill, IRT ‘11 and Ashley Johnson, IRT ’06
Congratulations to AERA Ed Change SIG members Elizabeth Gill and Ashley Johnson on the recent publication of their paper: “We, as parents, do have a voice”: Learning from community-based programs effectively engaging parents in urban communities. Urban Education.

The Importance of Self-Care

Jennifer López, IRT ’10, ’20

Teaching during the pandemic has not been an easy feat. With more demands than ever, educators have had to face challenges like never before.

As I write this article, I cannot help but think about all the planning, grading, calls, make-up work, data analysis, meetings, etc. I need to prepare for the upcoming week. The immense expectations placed on teachers has left many, including myself, overwhelmed and disillusioned. However, my students deserve the absolute best, and so I show up every day and give it my 110%. As I reflect on how I am surviving this school year, I am reminded about the importance of making sure I am filling my cup in some way every day. While I understand the structural educational inequities that currently exist need to be transformed in order to ensure teacher sustainability long-term, finding ways on a day to day basis to help me stay afloat are just as critical.