How Was Training?

Training was a great experience, not only because it prepared me to work with students but also because it created a tight-knit community among all of the BETAs. The training stood out from other trainings I’ve been through in the past in that we were put into situations that we would actually face during the school year. We went through many simulations, where other BETAs pretended to be students with various behavior or comprehension problems, forcing us to practice responding and thinking on our feet. This was incredibly nerve-wracking for me at first, but by putting me in those positions, it gave me very valuable practice and a much thicker skin. I have now experienced almost every bizarre situation from those simulations in the actual classroom.

Training was really helpful because we did a lot of role-playing scenarios to practice the skills we learned. We also learned a good amount of educational theory and had discussions about diversity issues related to education that prepared me pedagogically for what I would do. Of course, you can only truly learn by doing, but I felt pretty confident going into the school year that I was ready. It was also just a huge time for bonding with other BETAs that helped me transition into the school environment feeling more comfortable with my coworkers.

Training was great. Breakfast and lunch were provided, so it made the transition/move-in period very easy since I didn’t have to worry as much about feeding myself. The content in the training is very useful and set me up very well to understand exactly what I needed to work on to be effective. This time is also very important to get to know your school and content teams, so that by the time school starts up, you are already really good friends with every BETA you will be working with.

Training was overwhelming but very helpful. I think it prepared me for working with my students and learning how to plan and differentiate. I wish it would have helped more in how to deal with the resistance that sometimes comes with the lead teachers.

Training was a combination of preparing for work in the classroom and getting to know my fellow BETA’s. The first half entailed a few hours working with students and the rest was time with our Math Site Director learning practical classroom skills. After summer school finished, training was only with fellow BETA’s going through role play, reflection and practical skills workshops. Of course, the free lunch and breakfast during this time was also a nice perk. Training was helpful, and I think I still dwell on a lot of the points brought up during that time even now. It’s certainly hard to draw a direct connection between something taught to you in a classroom and actually applying those methods with students, but it’s a helpful starting off point. I think the bonds created between BETA’s during that month was also really important for future working relationships.

Training was great! Knowing the psychology behind teaching was very helpful in classroom management and creating investment strategies for the kids. Also, the constant practice in execution was really helpful with presenting material to kids. Unfortunately, every classroom is different and so it is difficult to prepare someone for their specific class, subject material, lead teacher, and students; but, Blue Engine did help prepare me to adjust to the many different circumstances I have confronted.