Weakley County’s New Teachers Meet for Orientation

BY KAREN CAMPBELL

karen.campbell@wcsk12tn.net

WEAKLEY COUNTY (July 23) — Weakley County Schools Director Randy Frazier welcomed new teachers to a year like “we’ve never seen before” when orientation took place last week at the board of education office in Dresden.

Nineteen educators, who will be new to Weakley County classrooms this year or were hired after the required orientation was offered last July came together for two days of hearing from their new colleagues about classroom management, county school demographics, finances and more.

“We are pleased to get back to some degree of normalcy by having these new hires join us for our regularly-scheduled orientation,” said Frazier. “We need them to be ready for a very fluid school year where each day brings new challenges in educating our children during a global pandemic,” he added.

Two days of orientation and skill-building workshops were offered, covering topics such as classroom management and evaluations and updates on policies, health services, interventions, special education and safety.

Those who took part in the training are (* indicates those who began teaching last year after orientation was offered):

Dresden Elementary – Colby Akin

Dresden High – Victoria Todd, Erika Travis*

Gleason – Susan Drake, Holly Harris

Greenfield – Susie Hazlewood*

Martin Elementary – Arlene Hazlewood, LaTessia Shane

Martin Middle – Stephanie Virgin, Monica Collins, Sarah Hester, Avery Orr*

Sharon – Shawna Sampson, Jennifer Lamb*, Morgan Klinzing

Westview – Nathan Miles, Jarod Neal*

Lauren Mitchell will be the speech pathologist for Greenfield and Gleason. Joe Chapman will teach at the alternative school.

The group holds more than 80 years of teaching experience with six first-time teachers entering the classroom. Many live in one part of the county and will be traveling to a neighboring community. Others will be coming from homes in McKenzie, South Fulton, Paris and Murray.

While almost all openings are filled, some remain at Sharon, Greenfield and Westview.

Click on Employment Opportunities at www.weakleyschools.com for the latest update.

For more information on employment opportunities, contact Jeff Kelley, assistant director of schools, at 731-364-2247.

Weakley County teachers receiving orientation last week did so with social-distancing guidelines in place. When in small groups for more than 10 minutes and not separated by six feet, they wore masks. When placed throughout the meeting room and physically-distanced, they had the option of removing their face coverings. Seen here in a small group are (L to R) Stephanie Virgin, librarian at Martin Middle; Nathan Miles who will be teaching history, economics and personal finance at Westview; LaTessia Shane who is heading to Martin Elementary; Susie Hazlewood, who is returning to her role as a special education teacher in Greenfield, which she began last year after orientation; and Erika Travis, returning to the 10th-grade English class in Dresden she began last year.