CLARKSVILLE, TN – Austin Peay State University’s Eriksson College of Education graduated its largest class yet on Friday, Aug. 2, including the third cohort from its Grow Your Own Teacher Residency – the nation’s first federally registered teaching apprenticeship program.

This year also saw Grow Your Own’s first graduates from four rural Tennessee partner counties: Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman and Robertson. The program addresses critical teacher shortages by providing a tuition-free pathway for students to become licensed educators while working as paid educational assistants in local school districts.

Students enroll at a partnering community college before transferring to Austin Peay. They complete on-campus and online classes to obtain a bachelor’s degree in three years.

“I can’t say enough about the program and how much it’s blessed me,” said senior education major Korri Bishop, who spent the year at Krisle Elementary School in Springfield. “Everybody at Austin Peay has been so supportive and pushed us to do our best, but they also realize that we’re in the field gaining experience and have accommodated us for that.”

Real-world experiences

Bishop worked in Sarah Fowler’s kindergarten class during her residency and will remain at Krisle as a third-grade teacher this fall. She credits Fowler with building her up as an educator and said the students were excited to see her progress.

“I’ve always had a heart for kids, and I love spending time with them and seeing those moments of them learning something new,” Bishop said. “Third grade is a big jump from kindergarten … but I really think I’m going to like working with that age group, and I’m hoping for many years and a good retirement to support my family.”

While Bishop had previous experience as a substitute teacher, other cohort members were new to the classroom.
“This was my first time in an actual school system, so I didn’t know what to expect from the students and teachers,” said senior education major Azaria Mays. “I loved connecting with the students, getting to know them and their families, and seeing how close-knit they were inside and outside of school. Working alongside a veteran teacher also showed me what I needed to know to teach in a classroom and create a positive learning environment.”

Mays spent her residency at Stuart Burns Elementary School in Dickson County with second-grade teacher Annie Buchanan. She now works at Stuart Burns as a TN ALL Corps tutor and aims to grow as an educator while encouraging student success.

“My elementary school teachers were the ones who led me to become a teacher myself,” she said. “They really inspired me … I wasn’t academically gifted, and I was always one of the students who struggled, but they never gave up on me.”

Building new skills

The Grow Your Own program also equips graduates with versatile skills, including a special education interventionist endorsement. This opened doors for participants like senior education major Taylor Newton, who completed her residency at Kingston Springs Elementary School in Cheatham County.

During her time in Jill Hutchison’s fourth-grade class, Newton taught small groups, created lesson plans and later took over the classroom for a month. She also led a Response to Intervention (RTI) class throughout her residency.

“Now I’m working at Harpeth Middle School as a fifth-grade interventionist,” said Newton, who also has five years of experience as a high school teaching assistant. “Sometimes you’ll have students who need things like read-aloud services or adaptable text in a general education class, and I can give teachers feedback on how to meet their needs while still teaching to the entire classroom.”

Newton added that Austin Peay professors like Erica Boone gave valuable lessons on working with students in special education, while Coordinator of Teacher Residencies Amber Button inspired the entire cohort.

“It is such a rewarding experience to work with Grow Your Own students, and I am so proud of this cohort,” Button said. “It is an honor to be part of a program that offers an opportunity for students to gain their teaching licensure while also gaining real-world classroom experience.”

A lasting impact

The Grow Your Own program was established with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System in 2019, but its expansion into rural counties reflects Austin Peay’s commitment to addressing teacher shortages across the state.

“We are grateful for our partnership with Volunteer State Community College and Austin Peay State University in the Grow Your Own Apprenticeship Program,” said Michele Galluzzi, supervisor of human resources for Robertson County Schools. “[The program] is more than a solution to the teacher shortage; it is a way to change the lives of apprentices and their families in addition to the hundreds and thousands of future students they will impact.”

Grow Your Own participants are equally passionate about the program, and its continued growth is helping talented educators find jobs and shape tomorrow’s students.

“This program is amazing for anyone who wants to go into the educational field, especially for seniors graduating from high school,” Newton said. “It’s such a blessing being able to teach, and the knowledge you gain from the apprenticeship helps make you the best teacher possible – I think it’s an incredible opportunity.”