AHOSKIE – For four days last week, 60 teachers and administrators from schools all over Hertford County gathered at Hertford County High School to attend the North Carolina Teacher Academy (NCTA).

The training focused on strategies to increase proficiency levels in middle and high school reading.

Using a scientifically-based approach, teachers acquired skills to assist students in learning and retaining content information.

They also learned strategies to help students comprehend information gathered through all types of learning tasks, so that students can become better readers and writers in all subject areas that will significantly affect student achievement.

&uot;We do some pretty cutting edge things, and everything we do is research-based; the trainers do it in the classrooms themselves,&uot; stated Rosemary Tourney, the Site Manager for the NCTA, based out of Research Triangle Park.

Terrell Deloatch, who teaches English at Hertford County Middle School, told the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald that she found the academy’s classes very helpful.

&uot;Most students think reading is boring, so I will be able to make use of these strategies to activate student’s minds and get them to think above and beyond what’s in the classroom,&uot; she said.

Deloatch continued, &uot;Students can take these things and implement them in their lives as well.

Also, these classes are a nice refresher for teachers, teaching us new ways to keep students engaged.&uot;

Kathy Artis, an administrator who works with Pre-K to sixth grade teachers, also had nothing but positive things to say about the training.

&uot;The North Carolina Teacher Academy has good strategies to help teachers better plan and facilitate teaching,&uot; she noted.

Patricia Perry, an art teacher at HCMS, added, &uot;It’s a way to take new things back to the classroom and it makes the job so much more exciting.

If I’m excited, the kids can see that and it makes them excited too.&uot;

The NCTA is a professional development program established and funded by the North Carolina General Assembly.

The mission of the Academy is to support continuous learning in the growth of a career teacher by providing quality professional development in the areas of school leadership, instructional methodology, core content and use of modern technology to enrich instruction and enhance student performance.

Last week’s partnership academy is one of 16 taking place around the state this summer.

The partnership academies are non-residential and are held locally at sites determined by the participating school districts.