Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools Sept/Oct 2015 | Page 11

First-year teachers anxious for school bell to ring

Justine Amoroso had waited for this day for what felt like her entire
But in spite of her efforts to build up those classroom supplies, when
life. For years she had gone to scholastic warehouse sales gathering
she began preparing her room, she realized she was still lacking some of
materials for the dream of her someday classroom.
the things she needed.
The New Jersey native

“You think you have
decided to attend the University
everything, but in reality,
of North Carolina at Charlotte,
you get there and you don’t,”
entering its teaching program
Justine said. “The first day, my
and fell in love with the area,
mom and I left here and went
so she made North Carolina her
shopping and filled the whole
home.
cart with stuff I needed, that I
She spent months student
didn’t realize I needed.”
teaching at Sun Valley

Even though she still
Elementary School waiting for
wasn’t able to get every thing
the day when she would walk
she needed, Justine said she
into her own classroom.
accomplished her main goal of
“Student teaching is fun, but
getting her classroom ready for
it’s not your own classroom,”
students. “As time goes on, I’ll
said the 22-year-old. “I was so
get some of the other things I
looking forward to having my
need, like a rocking chair.”
own class to work with.”

Fresh out of college, both
That dream became a reality
Justine and Morgan say they are
when she was hired this year
very thankful for the support of
as a second-grade teacher at
the more experienced teachers
Benton Heights Elementary
on the school’s second-grade
School of the Arts. Walking
teaching team.
into her very own on that first

“Coming into this team has
teacher workday, however, she
been a great experience for both
admits was a little scary.
of us,” Morgan said. “You can
Morgan Adkins makes birthday “cupcakes” for each month of the year,
“You see a lot of white walls, with each student’s name on his birth month.
just see their excitement. Every
and all the furniture is kind of
one of these teachers makes
piled up,” Justine said. “It’s a little overwhelming at first because it’s
themselves available. They come to our classrooms. They ask if we have
that clean slate and it does take a lot of decision making. It takes a lot
any questions. We can email or text-message them. They’ve been a
to put together a classroom. And you want to make it welcoming for
huge help. It’s good to come on to a team that makes you feel like you’re
your students.”
already part of the team.”
Morgan Adkins, who student taught “Having a team and working well with your team is definitely helpful,”
at Kensington Elementary, graduated
Justine added. “They’ve been so supportive of us. They understand that
from UNC-Charlotte’s teaching
we’re new teachers. They’ve come up to us and said, ‘We remember
program a semester before Justine,
what it was like when we were new, so tell us about anything you need.’
so the two only met after they
Them knowing how we feel has definitely been helpful.
were both hired by Benton Heights
“It makes being a new teacher, setting up a classroom, doing open
principal Blaire Traywick.
house, and getting ready for the first day of school so much easier, and
She also remembers the feeling
not as overwhelming, because you feel like you’re not in it alone” Justine
of being slightly overwhelmed when
said. “You have five people with you, helping you.”
she too walked into her very own

Principal Traywick said her school provides many opportunities
classroom.
for all staff new to BHESA to receive orientations, tours and staff
“I’m very organized and so when
development.
I came into the classroom, with

“New teachers are given opportunities to build relationships with
everything shoved into the closets
an assigned mentor, as well as their grade level or department, and the
and having to start from scratch, I
school at large through arts experience,” she said.
got nervous and anxious about being

When the school bells ring at the year-round schools Thursday,
able to be prepared for my kids,”
Justine and Morgan will step into their respective classrooms and look
Morgan said. “It’s coming together
into the eager faces of their 16 second graders.
Justine Amoroso works
slowly but surely. Thinking about

They’ll then put to practice the training they received over the
diligently to get her class
the first day of classes, I’m a little
past four years at UNC-Charlotte. That training and the ongoing support
ready for the first day of
anxious but very excited.”
of their teaching team promises to help make these two first-year
classes at Benton Heights
Justine felt pretty good about her
teachers excellent at their craft.
Elementary School of the Arts.
stockpile of books and materials
--This article was written by UCPS Communications Coordinator Deb
when she walked into the classroom. “I’d pick up a thing here and there,
Coates