<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4FhKwk_1Gv8pyX300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4FhKwk_1Gv8pyX300" width="512" height="410" ></figure>Students who are looking to begin a career in education may not know where to start, especially as college application deadlines approach. The Central Bucks School District has a program in partnership with the Teacher Academy that guides students into the path of an educator.Mr. Melvin, the program director, explains that the program aims to give students’ hands-on experience with teaching in classrooms. “I’ve experienced things you can’t make up,” says Katy Kline, who works with first grade special education students at Jamison. Each of the student interns feel as though firsthand experience is something you cannot find in a normal classroom. Hailey Palek, who has worked with second graders in Barclay and Warwick, adds, “actually applying [the lessons] is different.” To students, as Mr. Melvin has been told, “The teacher mentors are the fun part.” He has also been told by the teachers that interns are incredibly helpful in class, and the feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive.”The students enjoy getting to know everyone, as Katy said, “I really like the relationship I’ve gotten to have with students.”The interns both discovered through learning that “not everything works for every student” and noticed that more than anything they are learning about what teachers do that work well in classrooms. “It’s a lot of work, but the work is worth it if you love what you’re doing,” says Katy. In agreement, Hailey describes that while there is a lot of planning involving projects, creating a portfolio, devising lesson plans, and an essay on “educational philosophy,” the work done for this class sets student up for college as well as their career, which is why the class is graded. Intern Lorena Zeigler, who works with sixth graders in Unami, says that on the days they are not shadowing teachers, “We pick apart what teachers do.” Mr. Melvin talks to the class about forming communities, and Lorena points out “I don’t think I realized how important that was.”“It’s been so fun,” Lorena says. A student intern learns what it’s like to “be in the teacher’s shoes.”Lesson plans created by students are sent to their teacher mentors to be used in class. Year one students will work their way through the year until they are teaching full lessons for the class, and year two students from there can jump into things more quickly.Principles of Teaching has two classes, typically split between junior and senior year though it is possible to take both as a senior. 2-3 days a week students will go into their assigned teacher’s class for around 60-90 minutes. The internship fits into a normal schedule, working as an elective, and can be placed in any of the four blocks and runs one semester per class.A common missed fact about the class, however, is that it counts as dual enrollment thanks to Bucks County Community College, meaning this class could be an opportunity to earn some credits for college.Lorena notes that the students who complete both classes are guaranteed an interview to become a teacher in the Central Bucks School District.Students scan in and out of the building to go to their class; both Katy and Hailey agree that the process is smooth when moving between C.B. South and their school where they work.Inside the classroom, these students will start off working as assistant teachers and later help with small groups or one-on-one with the kids in their classroom. The student interns will eventually be able to teach full lessons for the classStudent interns also get to see the behind the scenes of field day and assemblies as teachers. In order to apply, which happens during the normal class selection window, students must first send in a basic application consisting of questions asking about who they are, why they are applying, giving a bit of background. Following the online application there is a short interview to meet in person with Mr. Melvin, who says that the main thing they are looking for is people who are “responsible”, “professional”, and have “purpose” and “maturity” to be able to partake in the internship. “It’s a way for students to give back,” he says.While the grades and subjects are up to the students, they may not be placed at the elementary or high school they attended. Lorena feels this experience will be useful in the future because it “gives kids a clear understanding of what they want to do.”Students that want to see if they are a good fit for teaching and have any feeling that they want to be a teacher are recommended to try the internship out. Both Mr. Melvin and Hailey said that even if a student is not entirely sure this class is for them, they should, “go for it.”</div></body>

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Students who are looking to begin a career in education may not know where to start, especially as college application deadlines approach. The Central Bucks School District has a program in partnership with the Teacher Academy that guides students into the path of an educator. Mr. Melvin, the program director,...

Leap into Learning: Everything the CBSD Teacher Internship Has to Offer

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Students who are looking to begin a career in education may not know where to start, especially as college application deadlines approach. The Central Buck

Leap into Learning: Everything the CBSD Teacher Internship Has to Offer

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