OTECP Announces Residency Winners for October 2024

November 27, 2024 – The College of Education (COE) Office of Teacher Education and Clinical Practice (OTECP) is proud to announce the recipients of Student Teacher, Mentor Teacher and Supervisor of the Month for October 2024: Chasity Partee, Lena Ross and Crystal White.

Partee, a native Memphian, is a Teaching All Learners (TALN) major currently completing her residency at University Middle School. Following graduation, she hopes to work as a special education teacher while simultaneously working to get her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). 

"I feel incredibly honored and grateful to be recognized as Teacher of the Month,” Partee said. It’s truly rewarding to know that the effort and dedication I pour into my work are making a positive impact. This award feels like a wonderful validation of not just my hard work, but also the connections I’ve built with my students and colleagues. It motivates me to continue striving to make a difference."

A teacher of 23 years, Ross attributes her award to the passion her mentee has brought to the classroom every day of her residency. Ross is rounding out her third-year teaching in the Marion School District in Crittenden County. Though she didn’t receive her degree from UofM, graduating from Arkansas State University, she said the training that has been instilled into her mentee by the University of Memphis makes her proud to be a teacher.

“When I was trying to determine a career path, I remembered the quote, ‘If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach him to fish, he will eat forever.’ I have always wanted to be a teacher that not only has a positive impact on my students for the year that I have them but to instill in them a love of learning that will last a lifetime. The main goal that I want for my students is to learn so that they can live independently and think for themselves,” she said.

Crystal White, an assistant professor of Urban Education, has been with the college since 2015 and currently supervises in Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS), Memphis Business Academy (MBA) Schools, Power Center Academy (PCA) Schools and Freedom Prep Academy. White said she ‘shed tears’ when she received the news about winning Supervisor of the Year.

“I absolutely love what I do,” White said. “I love my students, and I just show up for them the way I’d want someone to show up for me — so, I didn’t know that they noticed this much! I see that they feel honored to have me as their instructor, mentor and University supervisor; however, I feel honored just being in their presence and being able to support them.

Residency Awards of the Month are presented in the month following the subject month, allowing time to gather nominations and select recipients during that period.

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