Putting the pieces together: Learning about LPS helps educators prepare for success

Hundreds of Lincoln Public Schools educators put together the first puzzle pieces as they prepared to launch their new careers this week during special activities across the city.
 
More than 300 teachers, counselors and classroom specialists took part in New LPS Educator Week sessions at Southwest High School. They had a chance to meet their new LPS teammates for the first time at a kickoff event in the commons area and auditorium July 29. They spent the next several days taking professional development classes and working in their individual school buildings.
 
Amy Johnson and Britney Falkinburg stayed after the opening session to talk with each other about their career paths. Johnson will be teaching vocal music at Northeast High School this year and Falkinburg will be a counselor at Southwest High School. Both said they were happy to begin forming a clearer picture of LPS at the kickoff.
 
“It’s been a very positive thing,” Johnson said. “Getting to connect with other new teachers has been something that I’ve really enjoyed. I’m glad that the district is doing something like this, because it’s important to meet people and start those connections.”
 
“This is wonderful,” Falkinburg said. “It’s been a lot of fun to meet people here. It’s been a great start to the entire week.”
 
Johnson and Falkinburg will both bring a large amount of experience to their new positions. Falkinburg will begin her sixth year in the education profession and Johnson will start her tenth year. Johnson previously worked at a school in Shreveport, La., before choosing to move to Lincoln.
 
“I was looking for a new adventure, and when I learned about the job, I knew that this would be a good place to apply to,” Johnson said. “I’m excited to work with all of the families at school and get to know the students.”
 
April Brodersen and Torrey Proctor will also contribute years of teaching expertise in LPS classrooms. Brodersen spent the past 22 years at Plattsmouth Community Schools and will teach English Learners (EL) classes at Belmont Elementary School. Proctor worked in Iowa for 20 years and was most recently at the Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency. He will teach art classes at Northeast High School.
 
Brodersen and Proctor both said the school district’s goal of achieving student wellbeing and outcomes matched their own outlooks.
 
“I’m looking forward to focusing on the individual needs of each student and helping them every single day in the classroom,” Brodersen said. “Being able to see them grow is something that will be fun. I think it’s going to be a really good year.”
 
“I’m really excited to see how much the kids grow over the course of the year,” Proctor said. “It’s fun to meet them at the beginning of the year and then watch them learn. I’m looking forward to seeing that happen here.”
 
LPS Director of Continuous Improvement and Professional Learning Amy Clark said she enjoyed watching educators like Johnson, Falkinburg, Brodersen and Proctor gain their first insights about LPS. Many people struck up conversations at a photo booth early in the morning, and all of the kickoff’s speakers gave them time to talk with each other during the day.
 
“This event is important because it is a new LPS educator’s first meeting within our district,” Clark said. “We want to take time to connect new educators with the people and the systems so they know we are all in this together. We are ready to support them in any way we can so they can provide quality teaching in their new roles.”
 
Educators spent more than two hours soaking up knowledge about LPS during the kickoff session. They learned more than 6,200 employees hold roles ranging from cabinetmakers to chemistry teachers. Forty-eight percent of LPS secondary students completed an honors-level course in 2023-24, and LPS facilities hosted 235,000 hours of community-based activities this past year.
 
Presenters spoke about a host of other subjects such as professionalism, communications, school policies, educational services, school security, lesson plans and leadership. Educators spent ten hours working in their school buildings during the week, and they visited with many curriculum specialists for two full days. They also took a “Teaching with Clarity” class that covered items such as instructional routines and setting classroom expectations.
 
Clark told audience members in one of her sessions that “they are opening the box of a really exciting puzzle.” She said afterward that it was inspiring to watch the newest members of the LPS family take the first steps of their educational journeys.
 
“It was a joy to welcome them, visit with them, answer questions and start building positive relationships so we can support their important work in our district,” Clark said.
 
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