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A person sits at a desk with a notebook, watching a CarolinaCAP video call on a laptop. The person on the screen is smiling and giving two thumbs up. School supplies and books are scattered across the desk.

Supporting Novice Teachers in the Time of COVID-19

by Angela Adams, Lead Coach, Carolina Teacher Induction Program April 2020 Last June, my four-year-old asked me when Christmas would be here. I answered, “Six months.” “Six months is FOREVER!” was…

A group of people sit around a conference table with laptops and drinks; one person in glasses raises their hand to speak while others listen attentively.

Bridging the Gap with Support and Planning

by Madalyn Hazlett Dreher High School Mathematics Teacher At the end of my first year of teaching, I was asked to give one positive story that came from that school year. I could not come up with a…

Two people sit indoors playing cellos; one adult, possibly a CarolinaCAP mentor, demonstrates technique while a child observes and follows along. Sheet music rests on a stand in their cozy, modern living room.

Finding My Rhythm as a New Teacher

by Carson Coomes, Orchestra Director, Blythewood Middle School As a fourth grader, I remember being shuffled down to my school’s auditorium one morning for a performance from the fifth grade strings…

A CarolinaCAP teacher kneels beside a group of young students seated at desks in a colorful classroom, helping them with their work. Bright decorations, bookshelves, a map, and a large whiteboard create an inviting learning environment.

Belief and Support: What First-Year Teachers Need

by Yesenia Solis-Laboy, Second Grade Teacher, Lake Carolina Elementary It was our open house two days before the start of school. I was excited and anxious about meeting my students and their…

A group of CarolinaCAP students sit at desks in a classroom, some raising their hands to answer a question. Books and backpacks are on the desks, and shelves with books and a globe are in the background.

One More Time

by Alexis Kelly, Fifth Grade Teacher, H.E. Corley Elementary There I am, nervously pacing around the room as students slowly filter in. It’s the first day of in-person learning for the year and I…

A CarolinaCAP teacher gives a high five to a smiling young girl at a table with three other children in a colorful classroom. The children are playing with educational toys and appear engaged and happy.

Finding the Light

by Ashley Harmon, Science Teacher, Blythewood Middle School As the early sun begins to rise from the horizon, I turn my classroom key to a series of clicking sounds as the lock’s mechanisms shift. I…

A CarolinaCAP teacher gives a high five to a smiling young girl at a table with three other children in a colorful classroom. The children are playing with educational toys and appear engaged and happy.

From Obstacle to Opportunity: The Story of an Accidental Middle School Teacher

From the time I can remember my answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was always the same. A teacher. But life is a series of paths filled with unexpected twists and…