By Grace Blaney, Social Media Ambassador 2024-2025
When You Learn Together, You Grow Together
Walking into the first day of my teacher preparation program at UH Mānoa, I expected to meet classmates. What I didn’t expect was to find a cohort that would become my support system, my study partners, and my biggest cheerleaders.
The cohort model in the College of Education is more than a schedule, it’s a structure rooted in community. We take the same classes, work on projects together, observe classrooms side by side, and prepare for student teaching as a united group. It’s a system designed to help us succeed and it works.
Building Community, One Class at a Time
Having the same schedule means we see each other every day. At first, it’s about finding someone to sit next to or walk with between classes. But over time, you form real connections. We share ideas, laugh through stressful weeks, and celebrate each other’s small wins, like finally mastering a lesson plan format or nailing a teaching observation.
One of my favorite moments was during a group debrief during our field seminar, we were talking about what went well and what didn’t. One of us was struggling with behavior management, and instead of judgment, the group offered strategies, encouragement, and even shared their own stumbles. That’s when I realized: this cohort isn’t just classmates, it's a family.
We Rely on Each Other
Being in education is hard work, and doing it alone would be even harder. The cohort model encourages interdependence. We swap resources, co-plan lessons, run practice teaching sessions, and offer honest feedback. It’s collaborative, not competitive.
We’ve created group chats for everything: organizing carpooling, sharing Google Docs, or just talking about our days. When someone’s sick or overwhelmed, someone else always steps up. That shared responsibility mirrors the same values we want to bring into our own classrooms. We all show trust, empathy, and mutual support.
Why It Matters Beyond Graduation
What we’re learning goes beyond lesson planning or educational theory, we’re learning how to be part of a professional learning community. The bonds we’ve built will last beyond graduation, and I know many of us will stay connected as colleagues, collaborators, and friends.
In Hawaiian culture, the concept of kuleana reminds us of the responsibility we have to each other and to our community. The cohort model lives that value, it teaches us that we rise by lifting others.
