By Enya Bours Teaching Academy has been a unique school-to-career program for students interested in becoming a teacher or working with children at Independence High School since 1989. The program teaches students a wide range of topics to prepare them to work with children in the future, everything from theory to actual experience in a classroom.
Students learn lesson planning and presentation skills and as well as learning styles and how brains develop, and then get practical experience by going out to teach at elementary schools. Juniors go out to teach eighteen times a semester while seniors start an internship from November to May and go out around a hundred times, traveling to an elementary school and back during fourth period every day except Thursdays. To join Teaching Academy, students can sign up on School Loop or add the program on their schedules. The only two required classes are Psychology (can be taken sophomore or junior year) and Teaching Practicum (senior year), and students will be placed in a lot of the same classes as their fellow Teaching Academy peers throughout their high school career. When asked if she would recommend joining Teaching Academy, senior Jasmin Do explained that “You have to be patient. Not everyone’s good with kids. But if you like kids and you want to make a change in a kid’s life, Teaching Academy is definitely a good opportunity for you.” Some students join without having the intention of becoming a teacher; they simply want experience for kids when pursuing jobs such as becoming a pediatrician. Other perks of joining Teaching Academy include receiving sashes and being able to participate in a different kind of learning experience instead of the regular classroom setting with lectures and notes. Students also supplied a couple of their favorite memories from Teaching Academy: “I didn’t think my kids were going to get me anything for Valentine’s Day, but when I walked in they directed me to a bag and told me ‘This is all for you!’ and I was like ‘Oh my God I’m gonna cry.’ Sometimes I walk in and they’re super happy to see me and it’s so cute.” - Emily Dinh, senior planning to get into child development “My kids always say ‘Bye Miss Catrina’ in unison when I leave, and I love that.” - Catrina Dang, senior planning to get into business management “Freshman year we taught kids about the water cycle and that was really cool.” - GiaAn Nguyen, senior planning to get into the medical field “Every day is memorable with my fifth grade class, because they’re super cute and it makes me wonder if I should really become a teacher.” - Jasmin Do, senior planning to get into the medical field Any questions about Teaching Academy can be answered by emailing the head of the program at [email protected] or stopping by Mrs. Narveson’s classroom at A303.
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