UA Little Rock Education Graduate Tinaya Brown Finds Her Calling in the Classroom
Tinaya Brown has always had a history of helping children. Now, she’s turning that passion into a career as she prepares to graduate from UA Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education on May 17.
Brown, a Pine Bluff native, is part of UA Little Rock’s innovative teacher residency program with Little Rock School District, a new model of teacher preparation that pairs education students with a mentor teacher for a full school year of preparation instead of a traditional semester-long student teaching placement.
As a teaching resident at Forest Heights STEM Academy in Little Rock, Brown has spent the entire year in a kindergarten classroom under the guidance of her mentor teacher, Christy Watkins.
“I started on July 31, and I’ve been in the classroom every day since,” Brown said. “The whole thing has been great. Doing the residency program has given me a better understanding of what being in my own classroom will be like. I’ve learned so much from Miss Watkins and the other teachers on the kindergarten team.”
The immersive experience gave Brown the chance to fully engage in all aspects of teaching, from working with parents to planning lessons and supporting students through day-to-day ups and downs.
“I got to see my students grow, as I grew right along with them,” she said. “One of my favorite memories was the kindergarten meet-and-greet night. It’s funny to think about how shy and nervous all the students were at first compared to how comfortable and confident they are now. It’s just been so special to see their progress and growth not just socially, but also academically.”
Brown said the yearlong residency helped her grow in patience and confidence, two skills critical for any educator but especially kindergarten.
“With kindergarten, you need a lot of patience,” she said. “In the beginning it’s about teaching them how to be good school citizens.”
Brown’s journey to the classroom hasn’t always been straightforward. Although she was inspired to become a teacher by her second-grade teacher, Miss Harrison, she initially explored other paths.
“I changed my major three times before joining the Elementary Education program,” she said. “But I realized I was already doing so many things that revolved around children like working in daycare, teaching Vacation Bible School, and teaching children’s church. It just made sense for me to be a teacher.”
Her decision to attend UA Little Rock was an easy one.
“It’s close to my parents’ home, and we used to come to Little Rock almost every weekend so I was very familiar with the city,” Brown said. “I toured this campus twice, and I knew the first time I came that this was the school I wanted to attend.”
Since starting in 2020, Brown has made the most of her college experience. She served as a resident assistant for three years, joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., participated in the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps, and was active in Chi Alpha, a Christian ministry on campus.
One of her favorite professors was Dr. Rachel Eells, director of the School of Education, who left a lasting impression.
“I absolutely loved her class,” Brown said. “She was my professor back in 2022–23, and I still remember a lot of what I learned. She’s also such an amazing and genuine woman.”
After graduation, Brown plans to begin her teaching career in Arkansas, and she’s excited for what lies ahead.
“I’ve been looking forward to graduating since the day I got into college,” she said. “Because of COVID, we could only have our immediate family attend our high school graduation. It will be nice to be able to have more of my family members attend my college graduation. I’m excited to get out into the world, start teaching, and have my own classroom. I thank God for blessing me to get to where I am today.”