Jasmine Mathis was feeling a little overwhelmed as a new teacher in Knox County Schools. But after attending the school system's New Teacher Academy, the Maynard Elementary third-grade teacher said she's feeling more confident.

"Coming to the New Teacher Academy I have found that I'm a little more at ease because they provide great resources," Mathis said.

"It's great training and giving us information that we'll need throughout the year. So I find it extremely beneficial and comforting a little bit."

This week, Knox County Schools' newest teachers participated in the district's annual New Teacher Academy at Dogwood Elementary and Central High School. About 140 elementary teachers and 175 secondary teachers participated.

Christy Dowell, an elementary education supervisor in the district, said the academy is an opportunity to welcome new teachers to the education profession and the school system.

"We think about our children being the future; these teachers are our future as well," she said.

"So we just use this opportunity to welcome them and provide them with professional development that will then prepare them for this upcoming school year."

Some of the training teachers received during the two-and-a-half-day academy — which ends Friday with a celebratory luncheon at the Sarah Simpson Professional Development Center — includes sessions on technology, human resources and other administrative processes and an introduction to evaluations.

On Thursday, teachers were divided up by grade level and paired with veteran teachers for classroom demonstrations, which Dowell said is always a favorite session.

Caleb Bradley, who will be a third-grade teacher at Powell Elementary, said the academy also provided good contacts for new teachers.

"That's going to help share resources and help us to be more effective," he said.

And, he added, he feels better prepared for the year.

"It gives us a better gauge of what to expect from our third-graders," Bradley said. "They're 8 years old and you want to treat them like an 8-year-old but at the same time there are huge expectations that they have to meet. It helps us learn how and where to push."

The first day of school for Knox County students is Aug. 10. Teachers return on Monday.