At Yankee Ridge, however, I was teaching a gen ed classroom, and so I accepted several student teachers. A good one can be a REAL help (divide and conquer) plus, the University of Illinois gave mentor teachers a tuition waiver for hosting a student teacher. Between that and scholarships, my Masters degree was free.
But, even the best student teacher is still new to the profession and has things to learn, so I only took one a year if I agreed to host one at all. I did not feel it fair for my class to have two student teachers a year, although there were teachers who disagreed with that philosophy and felt the extra set of hands in the classroom was worth the inexperience.
I am still in contact with all these former student teachers (except for one), and it has been fun to follow their careers.
Melissa Wingate Willis
Melissa was my very first student teacher in the fall of 2001 and joined me just a few weeks after the twin towers fell on 9/11. Melissa was from Champaign and thus a local gal. She was a VERY hard worker, and one who cared deeply about the kids. She's been teaching at Lincoln Trails Elementary in Mahomet, Illinois (her principal is my dear friend and a former Yankee Ridge special ed teacher, Christine Northrup.) Melissa is now married, a mom, and recently finished her librarian's degree. She has just switched assignments in her building to be the new librarian at Lincoln Trails.
Amanda Newport Leinhardt
Amanda is from Champaign and was a swimmer (her dad was the men's swim coach at the U of I.) I never, EVER saw this gal without a smile on her face, even when she was struggling with a lesson going awry! Amanda was in her take-over when I had to have my hip replaced (she knew about that before being placed with me and wanted to have me mentor her anyway) and she did a tremendous job coping with my absence and the substitute teacher who covered for me.
Surprisingly, she had a difficult time getting hired. (Amanda was top notch!) That happens sometimes, and she and her husband were rather nomadic as he worked to get himself established as a pastor - that didn't help her find employment. They moved several times and she was never hired until they came back to Champaign. She's teaching kindergarten at Kenwood Elementary in Champaign.
Sara Ryder Tsioles
Sara was my last student teacher and with me in the spring of 2006 at Yankee Ridge. We also participated in the same University of Illinois graduation ceremony - she got her B.S. and I got my M.Ed! We took a picture together at graduation in our caps and gowns. Now she's a science teacher at The Center for the Gifted in Chicago, Illinois.
Another hard worker, Sara was very shy and unaware that one of the male aides at Yankee Ridge had a terrific crush on her. (I still remember that his jaw dropped when he first saw her! He was smitten!) But Jason was shy, too, and although he eventually worked his courage up to ask her out, they didn't click.
Last is a gal who, sadly, should never have made it to the student teaching phase of her college education.
C.E. (Although this blog is private, I am not writing her name.)
She was clueless about how to work with kids. The first week she was with me, she took refuge behind my desk, kneeling and crying because she did not know what to do with them. Another time, she simply walked out of the class and went home because she said she needed a break. She shared pictures of herself drinking beer and holding her middle finger up. (I grabbed those right away and made her take them home.)
I contacted the U of I Education department that first week with my concerns. I was told to give C three more weeks and then give them an update. She had not improved by then, but when I again contacted the U of I, I was told that since she was so close to her graduation, there was nothing they could do. Needless to say, I was not happy with that, and I suspected that she would not get a classroom.
I was right - C could not find a job. The last time I spoke with her, she was working in a factory. I recently found her on Facebook, and she still does not have a classroom ten plus years later. She is working as an aide at a junior high in Normal and coaching 8th grade girls track.
C was very much an exception to the rule when it came to the quality of student teachers I have been blessed to work with. Melissa, Amanda, and Sara were top notch and now are making a difference in students' lives on a daily basis. I am pleased to have been a part of their teacher training, and proud of them for what they have accomplished.
Even nicer to now call them colleagues and friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment