The Corpus Christi Independent School District welcomed around 240 new educators Tuesday at Carroll Arena as part of its new teacher orientation.
Principals joined the new hires for lunch during the event, which was designed to help teachers feel supported before they step into the classroom.
Valerie Sanchez, the teacher induction specialist for CCISD, said the orientation is about making sure new educators know they have people in their corner.
"With this amount of teachers and with how large our district is, it's really important that we make sure they know that they're supported, number one. Ultimately our goal is that they walk away knowing how many people they have on their side ready to support them as they head out to do the work of supporting our students," Sanchez said.
The new teachers span all grade levels, from pre-K through 12th grade, and include educators in specialized content areas such as fine arts, career and technical education, physical education, and health.
Among those attending was Bridget Nass, a first-year 4th grade teacher at Cle Place Elementary who is also new to Texas.
"I could not be more excited to be a first year teacher, not just in the, I'm brand new to Texas as well, so coming from the Midwest, I'm excited to see what schools are like down here in Texas," Nass said.
Michelle Garcia, a first-year 2nd grade teacher at Cullin Place Elementary, said the orientation helped ease her anxiety about the new school year.
"As a first year teacher, it is very important for me to know what is going on. Last week I had the jitters, the 1st year jitters, and now that I'm here in the training, I feel more welcome, more confident," Garcia said.
Garcia also shared a message for parents ahead of the school year.
"Welcoming everybody we're very happy we're very excited we're getting ready for you we're prepared for you and we love the children and we're expecting them with welcoming and we can't wait to see you," Garcia said.
The district hires teachers year-round to keep up with demand. Sanchez said orientation is just the first step in a continuous onboarding process.
"New teacher orientation is just the first part of our onboarding process, and we're constantly, as people are joining our team, making sure that they get a similar experience to today to make sure that they're also ready to just step right in and jump into the classroom to help their students and not feel like they're thrown in," Sanchez said.
The new educators will spend the next few weeks setting up their classrooms before students arrive.
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