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Teaching Program Puts High School Students at the Head of the Class

Posted on: Saturday, 22 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Amy Coutee, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Apr. 22--SUFFOLK -- Edward Hollowell remembers how he felt the first time he walked into a classroom. He was scared to death.

Now he's eager to prevent that from happening to another teacher. That's why the eighth-grade teacher at Forest Glen Middle School volunteered to help with Teachers for Tomorrow.

Created in 2004 by the state Department of Education in response to teacher shortages, the program is offered at more than 50 high schools across the state, including some in Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Hampton and Poquoson .

This is the first year it has been offered in Suffolk at Lakeland and King's Fork high schools.

Theresa Caffee , the Lakeland High School Teachers for Tomorrow coordinator, has 20 students -- most female -- in her class this year. Suffolk is trying to recruit more men and minorities to join the profession, and school divisions across the state are struggling to fill science, math and special education openings.

Many teachers enter the field not knowing what to expect and, "it's important that they get that experience now," Hollowell said. "It's a rude awakening."

It would be wonderful, Caffee said, if all of her students came back to teach in Suffolk, where there are 44 open teaching positions, including positions at Creekside Elementary School, which is slated to open in September. The division hires about 150 new teachers each year because of retirements and growth.

"We want to keep the door open for them throughout their life," Caffee said. "We also hope that a lot of them will now pursue teaching in college."

Teachers for Tomorrow is a dual-enrollment program, meaning students can earn high school and college credit. To make it more attractive, the school division offered it to high school juniors and seniors free of charge. Students typically pay more than $400 each semester to earn three college credits in a dual-enrollment course .

The students have been shadowing their coordinating teacher all year and, on Friday, they took over and taught classes at Lakeland High, Forest Glen Middle and Kilby Shores Elementary schools .

While Katie Daughtrey, was teaching sophomores about punctuation in an honors English class at Lakeland, Kelsey Cutchins was asking some Forest Glen eighth-graders to imagine waking up after a 20-year slumber, like Rip Van Winkle.

"I have prizes -- who wants to read their essay?" Kelsey asked the class before encouraging Travis Knight to read his piece.

"Nice job. Take your pick," she said, waving McDonald's and Subway coupons .

The bribe worked.

"I like the way she was teaching," said Travis after Kelsey's lesson. "She gives eye contact." She's "not just talking to one person, she's talking to everybody."

Kelsey , who already had learned the art of motivation, was offering students prizes in exchange for their involvement Friday.

"There are certain ones that are born to teach, and you can see it in her," said Hollowell, the Suffolk Middle School Teacher of the Year . "She did all this by herself, and she's still in high school.

"She's gonna make a great teacher, I can see that right now."

* Reach Amy Coutee at (757) 222-5562 or amy.coutee@pilotonline.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

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Source: The Virginian-Pilot

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