June 6, 2023 — In the landscape of teacher residency programs, there are an abundance of innovative practices focused on recruitment and the selection of teacher candidates. One program that stands out for its progressive approach is the Georgia State University CREATE Project. CREATE, based in Atlanta, is a NCTR Network member.
At the forefront of CREATE’s innovative approach are Ashley Vierra and Chenoa Smith, two dedicated CREATE Project members who led this year’s recruitment and selection process by infusing art and self-expression. Recruitment and selection are critical processes of teacher residency programs. They can be transformative approaches to unlocking a candidate’s knowledge, creativity, and values when it is carried out with intentionality, empathy, and purpose.
Through their guidance, the interview process became a space to honor creativity and personal storytelling. The idea of incorporating an artistic element originated from the equity coordinator, Rosalynne Duff, at CREATE Project Community Engagement and Continuing Education Department, in conjunction with the discussion and insights from NCTR’s Recruitment and Selection working group. These opportunities reinforced the decision to utilize art as a tool for creating an inclusive and expressive recruitment experience, recognizing aspiring teacher residents’ diverse talent, purpose, and core values.
At the center of the recruitment and selection process, candidates engage in several opportunities to convey their “why”– why do you want to become an educator? Recognizing the importance of this question and the unique insights it can bring, Vierra and Smith introduced an artistic change to the interview process. Candidates showcased their “why” for becoming an educator by creating “ARTifacts” that express their passions and motivations through various art forms. This innovative approach allowed candidates to express their purpose and provided a platform to weave together their lived experiences, intersectionalities, and positionalities. The “ARTifacts” conveyed why teaching is vital to the individual and their vision to impact student outcomes. Finally, by highlighting art and self-expression, CREATE teacher residency created an authentic opportunity where candidates can share their perspectives, identities, and aspirations, which fostered conversations in the interview about the multifaceted dimensions of teaching and the diverse experiences that forge a teacher’s identity.
“What I wanted to convey in my ARTifact was the collection of societal issues that surround education and how they intersect. The collage of pictures represents how many things my mind is thinking of when thinking about education reform.”- Elenie Menna, Cohort 9 Resident Early Childhood Elementary Education
As teacher residency programs evolve, CREATE teacher residency’s commitment to embracing innovation and holistic development will continue to pave the way for a growing community of dedicated educators. Vierra and Smith’s visionary approach to recruitment encouraged candidates to bring their authentic selves to the interview process through artistic expression, creating a space to center diverse voices and unique perspectives. The ripple effects of this approach will impact the program as the next cohort of teacher residents enters the profession with a deep sense of purpose to create inclusive educational spaces that celebrate students’ unique contributions and perspectives.