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You could say that Denton ISD alumni Molly Mayfield and Sheridan Reeves got a turbocharged preparation to return to the district as teachers in the fall.

Mayfield and Reeves were . Denton ISD launched the residency program, funded through a grant, last fall. The teaching residents spent a school year working with some of the districtòòò½ÊÓƵ™s best teachers.

Reeves and Mayfield are among five Denton ISD alumni who received contracts to teach in the district in the fall. The others are Emma Onstead, a Guyer High School graduate, and Gabrielle Mays and Maria Alfaro-Mendoza, who graduated from Ryan High School.

Mayfield and Reeves said theyòòò½ÊÓƵ™re eager to get back into the classroom and use what theyòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve learned from the best. Mayfield will teach kindergarten at E.P Rayzor Elementary School. Reeves hadnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t gotten word of her placement yet.

òòò½ÊÓƵœI first wanted to be a teacher when I had my kindergarten and first-grade teacher, we looped, and that was back when I was in Krum,òòò½ÊÓƵ� Mayfield said. Looping is a practice where a teacher leads a class through two or more grade levels.

òòò½ÊÓƵœI wanted to be a teacher after that because she was just amazing,òòò½ÊÓƵ� Mayfield said.

She moved to Denton ISD in the fourth grade.

òòò½ÊÓƵœHonestly, all throughout that point and up until graduation, it was just fostered so much. I mean, teachers would come and tell me like, òòò½ÊÓƵ˜So, you want to be a teacher?òòò½ÊÓƵ™ And I was like, òòò½ÊÓƵ˜Yeah, I do.òòò½ÊÓƵ™ So I think it was just very much fostered from the beginning. I got to see great examples all throughout my schooling,òòò½ÊÓƵ� Mayfield said.

Mayfield graduated from LaGrone Academy, and Reeves graduated from Ryan High School.

Reeves might have been destined to teach in Denton ISD òòò½ÊÓƵ” sheòòò½ÊÓƵ™s the granddaughter of retired Denton ISD teacher Anita Reeves and coach Vernon Reeves Jr. Her father, Vernon Reeves, is the principal at Ryan High. One of the districtòòò½ÊÓƵ™s new elementary schools is named for Anita Reeves and is slated to open this fall.

Both women stayed close to home for college. Mayfield is about to graduate from TWU, and Reeves started her studies at North Central Texas College and then went to UNT.

Reeves said she has wanted to teach as long as she can remember. She remembers coming home from Nette Shultz Elementary School as a kindergartner and not being ready to leave school behind.

òòò½ÊÓƵœI loved it,òòò½ÊÓƵ� Reeves said. òòò½ÊÓƵœI would come home and teach everything that I learned to my little brother, whether he liked it or not. And ever since then, I had really great teachers, like Molly was saying. And I always volunteered with kids, and so I know I wanted to work with them. When I graduated high school, I worked at a preschool. And that really solidifies that, like, yeah, I think this is what I want to do. And now being in the residency, I really like it.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Denton ISD is considered a destination district, with teachers from smaller districts in North Texas competing for openings each year. The district started a Grow Your Own program òòò½ÊÓƵ” known as òòò½ÊÓƵ” in 2016-17. The local program is part of a that supports public schools in creating and developing teacher pipelines in their communities.

Jason Rainey, Denton ISDòòò½ÊÓƵ™s interim superintendent of human resources, heads the team that coordinates the residency program. The residency builds on Teach Denton, bringing some alumni back into the district for a school year of intensive training while getting paid.

The residents arenòòò½ÊÓƵ™t teaching aides. They are student teachers who work with established teachers to develop and teach curriculum, learn to manage a classroom, and get invaluable experience tracking students through the year, helping them meet Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.

Texas schools are facing a shortage of teachers, and while they hire and place alternatively certified professionals, school leaders still value teachers who studied education and were certified through four-year university programs. Denton ISDòòò½ÊÓƵ™s residency program isnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t unique. The was established in 2007 to provide the residency model that is now used in a number of states.

A residency offers more time and more depth than the typical student teaching programs, which can last up to 16 weeks. Student teaching is part of educator preparation programs and doesnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t pay.

Mayfield said she found the residency when she started looking for work.

òòò½ÊÓƵœMe doing an entire semester unpaid wasnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t an option for me,òòò½ÊÓƵ� she said. òòò½ÊÓƵœSo I went looking for all the different opportunities that there were, all the different options that were available to me.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Mayfield said she almost never left the district. She graduated and then returned to work as a staff member. But when she moved out of her family home in 2023, she had to get a job to pay rent and bills.

Mayfield found out that TWU was considering joining the Denton ISD teaching residency program after she òòò½ÊÓƵœspent some time digging.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

òòò½ÊÓƵœI knew UNT had [partnered with Denton ISD], but I wasnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t sure about TWU,òòò½ÊÓƵ� she said. òòò½ÊÓƵœSo I got in conversations with all the people that I could. òòò½ÊÓƵ˜Is this a thing? Is this happening?òòò½ÊÓƵ™ They ended up adding it.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Reeves said one of her professors mentioned the program. UNT had already selected the first group of residents, and Reeves applied for the second group to be reviewed for the program.

òòò½ÊÓƵœI do know there was a lot of people who did apply, and in our interviews at UNT, we were on a panel of like five of us, with like three or four people from UNT,òòò½ÊÓƵ� she said. òòò½ÊÓƵœIt was it was very professional, and it was a pretty big deal.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Reeves was selected and paired with Haley Dern, a first-grade teacher at Newton Rayzor Elementary School. Mayfield was selected and paired with Trisha Sims, a kindergarten teacher at Hawk Elementary School.

òòò½ÊÓƵœFor me, this experience has been amazing,òòò½ÊÓƵ� Mayfield said. òòò½ÊÓƵœI think the biggest advantage we have is seeing the entire school year, from the beginning of the year. Usually in traditional student teaching, you start in February, where classroom rules are already established, youòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve already tackled coming back from winter break and regaining the classroom after such a fun time with family.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Mayfield said a bonus has been working with a teacher the week before school, getting a feel for how professional teachers manage their time and how they connect with their students.

òòò½ÊÓƵœI think it was just great to see that experience,òòò½ÊÓƵ� she said. òòò½ÊÓƵœI honestly feel like being in the residency all year with the same grade, you truly become an expert before you even start.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Reeves said the residency teaches the residents how to be part of the school community, from the hallways to the classroom, and into the faculty meetings where professionals can talk about whatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s working and what they can change in their classrooms.

òòò½ÊÓƵœI think if the residency was available to everyone student teaching, they should do it, because I really do feel prepared, and I think itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s an amazing opportunity,òòò½ÊÓƵ� she said. òòò½ÊÓƵœBeing there the whole day, and on the days weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re not in class, is great. Getting to co-teach the whole year, not observing just for the first semester, that was very helpful, too. I feel like this is kind of like a first year in a way because Iòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve gotten to teach the whole year, and Iòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve gotten to feel like a part of the staff, because I have been there for all the staff meetings. And I have been there the whole year, and been in the same class the whole year, so Iòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve gotten really close with my team as well.

òòò½ÊÓƵœItòòò½ÊÓƵ™s so much more than I would have gained from the traditional student teaching route,òòò½ÊÓƵ� Reeves said. òòò½ÊÓƵœSo Iòòò½ÊÓƵ™m very thankful.òòò½ÊÓƵ�

Between and the residency program, the school district has hired 91 former Denton ISD students who are now teachers in the district.