Math & Literacy Institutes Let Hamilton County Teachers Teach Each Other

Summer break has arrived but the learning isn't over in Hamilton County.

More than 500 educators are teaching each other as part of Math & Literacy Institutes.

Hamilton County teachers are sharing ideas that work.

Hamilton Co. Secondary Literacy Coordinator Andrea Johnson says, "They're being taught by their own teachers."

Thanks to a partnership between the school district and the Public Education Foundation 550 K-12 educators are freshening up their classroom skills.

Thrasher Elementary Literacy Teacher Jeff Paulson says, "Its not like we have venders here that are trying to sell us something, we've got people that are using these strategies and sharing them."

It's a two day workshop in best teaching methods.

This section at Howard School studies Literacy.

Across town at Chattanooga State teachers study Math.

Public Education Foundation President Dan Challener says, "Teachers learn like all of us by trying things and teachers learn 'gee this worked really well in my classroom' and they'll share it with other teachers."

Challener says teachers jumped at the chance to participate, in fact they had to turn several away.

CSAS K-5 Associate Principal William Fain says, "Teachers, I think, as a whole they have a passion for being life long learners."

This is the fourth year for the Literacy Institute, the very first for the Math Institute.

Teachers say this method of sharing ideas works...

Tyner Academy Teacher Kelcey Watson saysm "They know best. The teachers are experienced, they're in the classrooms everyday so they know how best to teach any particular concept."

Challener says test scores and graduation rates are improving in Hamilton County and this is the best way to keep up the momentum, "We know that there is nothing more important than good teaching for student learning."

The sharing isn't limited to K-12 teachers.

The Institutes also included professors from UTC and Chatt State.