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Walking into P-TECH Academy, I can immediately feel how different it is from a traditional high school. Last fall, I saw firsthand how this place operates—not just as a school, but as a bridge between education and the real world. Unlike a typical high school where students come from one town, P-TECH brings together kids from all over the TST BOCES region, creating a mix of backgrounds, perspectives, and goals. But what really sets it apart is its purpose. These students aren’t just earning a diploma; they’re working toward an associate’s degree, with real connections to local businesses, colleges, and industries. Learning here isn’t just about textbooks—it’s about real-world applications, and I know teaching in this environment will challenge me to think beyond the traditional classroom model.

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Being housed within the TC3 campus means involvement in some college life events such as the TC3 art show and sale.

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In a P-TECH classroom, the students aren’t just high schoolers—they’re future college students, employees, and innovators. That totally shifts the way I think about teaching. These students juggle a lot—college-level coursework, career prep, and everything that comes with just being a teenager. My role isn’t just about teaching English; it’s about helping them build the literacy and communication skills that will carry them through all of it. But that doesn’t just mean essays and grammar drills—it means making reading, writing, and critical thinking feel relevant to their goals. How do we make English class connect to their futures? How do I help them find their voices in an environment that’s all about looking ahead? These are the challenges I’m stepping into, and honestly, I’m excited to figure them out alongside my students.

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Type: Early College High School (Grades 9-14)

Enrollment: ~70 students across all six years (VERY small groups)

Graduation Rate: High, but students follow different timelines depending on their associate degree pathway

Post-Graduation Paths: Students automatically continue to Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) after the highschool/Regents phase of the program.

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P-TECH Academy is a section of about 6 classrooms nestled in the back of Tompkins Cortland Community College, rented out by TST BOCES

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📌 Local Businesses & Career Partnerships:

P-TECH has direct connections to local industries in manufacturing, technology, and business, making career-readiness a core focus.

Businesses often provide mentorships, internships, and project-based learning opportunities.

Students can participate in work-based learning experiences that integrate academics with real-world applications.

📌 Extracurricular & Student Support:

College & Career Advising – Students receive support in transitioning from high school to college and beyond.

Limited Sports & Traditional Clubs – Unlike a typical high school, students don’t have the same extracurricular options.

🔎 What This Means for Teaching:

Building connections with industry partners can help bring coursework to life.

Students benefit from structured academic support, given the demands of dual enrollment.

Without traditional extracurriculars, creating classroom engagement through projects and collaboration is even more important.

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Some of my 10th graders getting involved in a collaborative learning experience with Ithaca ReUse.

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📚 Classroom Environment & Teaching Approach

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📚 Classroom Environment & Teaching Approach

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📌 Physical Setup:

Flexible seating for collaborative discussions.

Whiteboards & Chromebooks for interactive learning.

Industry-relevant materials to tie literacy skills to career pathways.

📌 Classroom Culture:

Emphasis on real-world applications of English.

Focus on communication, professionalism, and workplace skills.

Use of Padlet, Google Docs, and discussion boards to encourage collaboration.

🔎 What This Means for Teaching:

Engaging, project-based assignments will resonate more than traditional tests or essays.

Communication skills (emailing, presenting, professional writing) are just as important as literary analysis.

Encouraging students to take ownership of their learning will help them develop independence for college and careers.

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P-TECH isn’t like any school I’ve been in before. Instead of the typical four-year high school path, students here are on a six-year journey that blends high school, college, and career training into one. The whole structure feels different—students move through the program in tight-knit cohorts, pushing and supporting each other along the way. They’re not just thinking about graduation; they’re actively working toward their careers. What stands out to me the most is how intentional everything is. Learning isn’t just about memorizing facts or passing a test—students are constantly applying what they know to real-world challenges. That means, as a teacher, I have to shift my mindset too. How do I make English and literacy skills feel just as relevant as the STEM-focused work they’re doing? How do I connect reading and writing to a space where everything is hands-on and career-driven? These are the questions I’m excited to dig into.

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A glimpse of the classroom I spend the whole day in. Notice the flexible seating arrangement conducive to collaboration - different from my S-VE placement.

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📍 P-TECH Academy serves students from multiple districts across the TST BOCES region in upstate New York, creating a unique blend of backgrounds and experiences.

Unlike a traditional school tied to one town, P-TECH brings together students from rural, suburban, and small urban areas.

The student body is more diverse than my previous placement, with a mix of White, Latino, Black, and multiracial students.

Many students are first-generation college-goers, balancing both high school and college coursework.

Economic backgrounds vary, but many students qualify for free/reduced lunch, indicating financial need.

The school is located within the TST BOCES campus, meaning students are part of a larger network of career and technical education programs.

🔎 What This Means for Teaching:

Students are navigating different cultural and socioeconomic perspectives, so fostering an inclusive classroom is key.

With many students coming from working-class backgrounds, coursework should feel directly relevant to their career goals.

Some students may face financial and transportation challenges, which can affect attendance and engagement.

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Our cohort of 9th graders is actually the largest group in the program, still at only a mere 15 students!

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Grade Levels: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Class Size: ~15-20 students per section

Diverse Academic Levels: Some students are highly motivated, while others struggle with reading and writing skills.

High expectations – Students are treated as young professionals preparing for college and careers.

🔎 What This Means for Teaching:

Differentiation is essential—some students need support, while others are already college-ready.

Career-focused literacy is key—students need to see how reading, writing, and communication fit into their fields.

Scaffolding is crucial—balancing high expectations with the necessary support is a delicate task.

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📌 Points of Pride:
✔️ A clear career focus—students graduate with job-ready skills and an associate degree.
✔️ Small, tight-knit cohorts foster a strong sense of peer collaboration.
✔️ Heavy emphasis on problem-solving, critical thinking, and applied learning.
✔️ Students get real-world experience through internships and industry projects.

📌 Challenges:
⚠️ The intensity of the program—students juggle high school and college coursework at the same time.
⚠️ Some students struggle with time management and self-discipline in a more independent learning environment.
⚠️ No traditional high school experience—fewer sports, clubs, and social events than a standard school.

🔎 What This Means for Teaching:

Coursework should connect to students’ career goals, reinforcing the real-world value of English and literacy skills.

Time management and self-advocacy need to be built into classroom structures to support student success.

Since students don’t have traditional school activities, fostering classroom engagement is even more important.

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📌 Academic Support:

1:1 Chromebook Program – All students have Chromebooks, but some may have limited home internet access.

College Partnerships (TC3) – Dual enrollment courses allow students to earn college credits.

SPED & 504 Accommodations – Support exists, but students are expected to take initiative in seeking help.

📌 Career & Technical Programs:

Work-Based Learning – Real-world projects with industry partners.

Mentorship Programs – Business professionals guide students in their career paths.

Capstone Projects – Students complete a final project that ties together their learning experiences.

🔎 What This Means for Teaching:

Lessons should be tech-integrated, but assignments shouldn’t assume students have reliable internet at home.

Academic rigor is high, so scaffolding complex texts and writing tasks will be necessary.

Encouraging students to seek help and use available resources will be key to their success.

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Bridging the Gap Between School and Career

Unlike a traditional English class, my role here isn’t just about teaching literature—it’s about helping students see the value of literacy in their futures. Whether they’re going into engineering, business, or technology, strong communication skills will set them apart.

Hands-On, Applied Learning is Key

Students at P-TECH are doers. They thrive when they can see the direct application of their work. That means my lessons need to connect to real-world writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Supporting Independence & Self-Advocacy

Since these students are balancing college and career prep, they need guidance in time management, organization, and self-discipline. Encouraging them to take ownership of their learning will be just as important as the content itself.

I’m excited to step into this space and find ways to make English class meaningful, relevant, and engaging for students with such ambitious futures ahead of them :))

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Our team at P-TECH is SMALL (but mighty). This is the entire team (minus our principal behind the camera). This photo actually depicts the goodbye of one of the staff members as a result of graduating from their full-time occupation of a TC3 student.