MTR Third Years, Pizza, and What Comes Next

There’s something special about gathering around a table at Rock’n Dough: good pizza, good drinks, and good conversations about what’s next.

That was the spirit behind the recent Teach901 + MTR Happy Hour, created just for third-year Memphis Teacher Residency (MTR) teachers as they approach the end of their three-year commitment. It’s an essential check-in moment to pause and say: How are you? What are you planning as your next steps? How can we support you?

Christian’s Calling + Commitment

“I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was 5 years old,” Christian Watkins said when asked about becoming a teacher.

Originally from Trinity, Alabama and a graduate of Birmingham-Southern, she moved to Memphis immediately after college, after meeting MTR recruiters through her education program. The opportunity to earn her master’s while leading a classroom felt like the right fit.

“MTR has given me many opportunities throughout my 3 years of commitment.”

Now an ELA kindergarten teacher, Christian has spent three years helping young students build foundational literacy skills, work that will shape the rest of their academic lives. But like so many MTR teachers, she didn’t stop there.

She wanted to grow.

Growing Beyond her Commitment

Through MTR’s Memphis Literacy Institute, Christian joined the Reading Specialist Certification Program in 2025, deepening her understanding of literacy development and gaining tools she can immediately apply in her classroom. By the end of this school year, she’ll earn her Reading Specialist Certification.

That desire to keep learning and serve students more effectively is exactly what the Happy Hour was designed to support.

Portia Owens, MTR’s Graduate Development Director, shared why these gatherings matter:

“This is our 3rd annual happy hour for 3rd Year Graduates. We want to get them together as a cohort. They most likely have not been together as a whole group since residency graduation back in 2023. They are finishing their commitment, and we want to say from MTR: thank you for your service. You are done.”Are you a local school network with current openings or building your team for the next school year?

For some teachers, “done” means staying in the classroom. For others, it means stepping into a leadership role. And for some, it may mean exploring an entirely new field.

“If you choose to stay where you are, great. If you choose to go to a different school in a different context, great. You can choose to leave the field altogether. We appreciate what you've done and what you brought to the city,” Portia stated.

Christian herself is still discerning what’s next, whether continuing as an elementary ELA teacher or moving toward a Reading Specialist role. What’s clear is that Memphis students have benefited from her hard work.

Teach901 Support

Teach901 Director Bree Wilson connected with teachers during the evening, sharing the ways Teach901 supports educators, from job placement and professional resources to networking and appreciation events.

Whether teachers stay in the classroom, step into a specialist role, or explore something new down the road, they’re part of a network that believes in them.

And that matters.