Early Career Teachers Academy

A small group of teachers being taught by a mentor teacher.

The first five years of teaching are exciting, challenging, and—let’s be honest—quite overwhelming! The Early Career Teachers Academy (ECTA) is designed to give new teachers the support they consistently say they need most. Built from in-depth interviews with recent USU graduates now in their first classrooms, this program offers practical training, real community, expert mentoring, and the confidence-building experiences early career teachers are hungry for, as well as an opportunity to earn graduate credit for their participation in the Academy.

The Early Career Teachers Academy is designed to help new teachers thrive — not just survive. Whether you're navigating student behavior, planning instruction, or simply trying to find your footing, ECTA provides the support and tools you need. Early career teaching is hard. You don’t have to do it alone.

Join Today! Our learning community has launched through the USU Collaboratory for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Join us to build confidence, build community, and build your career!

The Early Career Teachers Academy provides real-world training that matters now and focuses on the areas early career teachers tell us they need most:
  1. Classroom and behavior management
  2. Engaging with parents
  3. Differentiating instruction for diverse learners
  4. Small-group instruction strategies
  5. Planning and running the first weeks of school with clarity and confidence
What ECTA offers? Descriptions
A Community That Gets It Teaching can feel isolating — especially in year one or two. ECTA brings together teachers from across the state who are “in the same boat,” creating a supportive network where participants can share ideas, celebrate success, and know they’re not alone.
Classroom Visits & Real-Time Learning ECTA organizes structured opportunities to visit other classrooms — especially those using the same grade-level expectations or curriculum. Participants can observe classrooms in other model schools, be visited by mentor experts, and spend time applying new ideas to their own context. We encourage principals to pre-commit to visit dates so teachers can fully participate. Substitute costs are covered through the Academy!
Ongoing Mentorship From Expert Teachers Participants are supported by seasoned, high-performing teachers — ideally in the same grade level — to offer advice, observe classroom videos, troubleshoot challenges, and provide ongoing encouragement.
A Safe Space to Ask Anything No judgment. No evaluation. Just honest questions, shared problem-solving, and space to process the ups, downs, and “Is it just me?” moments of teaching.
A Free, Searchable Resource Bank Participants gain quick access to high-quality, ready-to-use resources curated by experienced educators. Note that this resource is in-process of development.
Optional Graduate Credit Earn graduate credit while strengthening your practice. Participants have the option to earn 0-2 credits, based on their interest level. Scholarships available. Interested participants will need to apply to USU as non-degree seeking students and register for TEAL 6560. Please contact collaboratory@usu.edu for more information.