The Teaching Fellows join Jessica Williams, Director of Global Programs, at Triple Play Farms for leadership training.
When Nihal Kodavarti was a 2023-24 Teaching Fellow Program member at Providence Day, he shadowed four different teachers throughout the year.
Nihal, a fellow in the middle school math department, started out just by observing, but as the year progressed, he began teaching lessons, collaborating on creating tests and lesson delivery and encouraging class participation.
“In certain classes, we would trade-off,” he says. “I’d do a lesson, and then the main teacher would do a lesson. That really allowed me to see a lot of different styles [and a lot of] really good teachers [who] taught in very different ways.
“My observation cycle was really important because I could craft my own teaching style.”
Nihal Kodavarti, pictured above in yellow, co-teaching a class with Kalon Davis.
Nihal is just one of several full-time teachers who went through the Teaching Fellows Program, a cohort that began after the summer of 2020 designed to recruit new teachers and train them to be leaders both in and out of the classroom. Fellows shadow and partner with master teachers, participate in seminars, and learn about life as an educator in an independent school setting.
Marcus Smith, the program director and chair of the English Department, says the situation for young teachers is often “like a John Wayne movie where he's with that woman [who is talking about her son who can’t swim], and just throws the kid in the lake and says, ‘He'll learn how this way.’”
“Young teacher training can look like the swimming lesson in the movie Hondo, which often results in poor development and retention. If we don’t thoroughly train and support young people entering the field, talented individuals will seek other professions, ” Mr. Smith says. “So, by creating the Teaching Fellow cohort and placing each Fellow in a department committed to educating and supporting them, Providence Day creates a dynamic, nurturing environment that encourages personal and professional growth. Moreover, in the Fellows Seminar, Fellows are visited by administrators, coaches, counselors, learning specialists, and master teachers to further the program’s five pillars: classroom and curriculum, strategies, leadership development, institutional life, self-development, and personal development.”
Nihal now works at Beacon Academy in Boston, a school that provides education and support for students who are transitioning from a public middle school to an independent high school. Beacon Hill's mission is to support its students throughout high school and college.
“Now [that I’m in] an independent teaching role, I find myself sometimes saying things in a certain way or doing things and thinking back to that [Providence Day] teacher who I watched do that,” Nihal says. “[I’m often] bringing the stuff I learned at Providence Day to this new environment.”
Exposure and guidance
Jalen Haffeney also was a member of the 2023-24 Teaching Fellow cohort. He is now the assistant athletic director and a P.E. teacher at Trinity Episcopal School in Charlotte.
He was drawn to the Teaching Fellows Program because, while he was always interested in education, Providence Day’s program would give him exposure to a teaching career instead of putting him into the classroom without training or guidance.
“It was really a way for me to explore teaching and other facets of education like diversity and equity work,” Jalen says. “Growing up, I always knew that teachers building relationships with students was important. But I never really processed the idea that so much of teaching is not just delivering content but building relationships. That is something I didn't really grasp before [being a Teaching Fellow].”
Jalen Haffeney, pictured above fourth from the left, poses with football coach Chad Grier and other Teaching Fellows.
He says the fellows' cohort was willing to allow him to make mistakes and open to his ideas, which made the program a smart decision.
“[I appreciated the school’s] overall commitment to having people at the school being willing to learn from each other and also to help other people learn, as well,” Jalen says.
Building confidence
Francisca Weirich-Freiberg, a member of Providence Day's Upper School English Department, joined the Teaching Fellows Program to help her consider how to make teaching a “sustainable and personally rewarding” career.
She was a 2022-23 Teaching Fellows cohort member and a Senior Teaching Fellow in 2023-24.
“[It] helped me build confidence in my career choice and teaching abilities,” she says. “It gave me the space and time to reflect on what values are important to me as a teacher, professional, and person. I made connections and built out my professional network, which I imagine will help me on my career journey.”
Francisca Weirich-Freiberg, pictured above left, co-teaching a class with Piper Spooner.
Others who have gone through the program have found it has given them an open mind, the willingness to take risks, and the desire to explore new challenges, which is conducive to a teaching career.
“You really get as much out of it as you put into it,” Nihal says.
Jalen agrees.
“[Being a Teaching Fellow] helped me mature and navigate life as a young adult,” he says. “Beyond classroom skills, I gained important life skills like money management, understanding taxes, and saving money, thanks to advice from Brian Li. [The program] also emphasized the importance of mental health, setting boundaries, and prioritizing my well-being.”
Jalen continues: “I would strongly encourage them to pursue it. It’s a transformative experience that prepares you for teaching and offers personal and professional growth, valuable relationships, and the opportunity to continually improve yourself.”