BISBEE, Ariz. (KGUN9) — In the midst of the quiet small town of Bisbee, fifth grade teacher Inez McClain walks to her new classroom, which is just across the hall from her dad's kindergarten classroom.
"I think it’s funny that one McClain is teaching the younger kids and another McClain is teaching the oldest students at school,” she said.
After student teaching for a year, she moved to Bisbee to work at Greenway Elementary School. She went through the Pathways to Teaching program at the University of Arizona where she learned about teaching through a cultural lens.
"My emphasis was teaching kids whos second language was English," she said. “I only have a year behind me but I've felt like I've provided a space for my students to feel completely comfortable."
As the Bisbee Unified School District heads back to school today, the teachers like McClain spend several days planning for the year ahead. McClain and the other fifth grade teachers meet before school starts.
"We meet together to talk about students needs like what they need and what they aren’t getting and I'm glad that I have a teacher to help with that," she said.
She said many of the teachers have extensive careers in BUSD. This year, the district hired seven new staff memebers.
"We have a lot of rollover because people are staying," she said. "Which is a good thing."
Greenway Principal Lindsay Vertrees said their goal is to create an inclusive, kind environment where teachers and families feel welcome.
"We have teachers that are happy and want to stay," she said. "And in addition to that, we have a demographic of students that keeps people wanting to come back and we’ve created a place where people are just happy to be here.”
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Tina Giuliano is a reporter for KGUN 9. She is a native Arizonan and grew up in Scottsdale. Tina is passionate about storytelling and is excited to work telling Tucson's stories. Share your story ideas and important issues with Tina by emailing tina.giuliano@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
