Learning through connection

Learning and connection. That's what drew Juliet Samuel, now a high school chemistry teacher at Brandywine School District's Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington, to University of Delaware's Teacher Residency program.

Housed in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and funded by the Delaware Department of Education, the program allows teacher education students to pursue yearlong, paid student teaching experiences in Delaware schools.

"UD stood out to me because of its strong Teacher Residency program and emphasis on practical, hands-on learning and mentorship," said Samuel, who studied secondary STEM education. "Coming from Nigeria without prior knowledge of the U.S. education system, this program provided me with the guidance and support to successfully navigate a new educational environment and adapt my teaching approach."

The residency program offers many benefits, from an immersive teaching experience to opportunities to join professional learning communities. But one of the most notable is the special relationship residents develop with their teachers. Through this mentorship, the program strengthens teacher retention, alleviates teacher shortages and supports high-quality instruction across all three counties in Delaware.

Powerful pairings

Samuel was paired with Robin Rimback, a chemistry teacher at Mount Pleasant, and gradually accepted more teaching responsibility.

"Ms. Rimback played a vital role in helping me transition into the classroom by sharing her experiences, offering continuous guidance and creating a supportive environment where I felt comfortable growing," Samuel said. "She gave me the opportunity to be myself and take ownership of the classroom, allowing me to make lessons my own during my teaching."

Now, one year later, Rimback has retired and Samuel was hired to assume Rimback's teaching position. Thanks to the residency program, she plans to remain teaching in the state, a program goal for all residents.