 |
 |
| |||
| NEXT SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE ACADEMIC PAPER AWARDS: 05.01.06 |
 |
High School Highlight |  | ||
| Julie Good "Rocket Corps" Coordinator Richard Montgomery High School Rockville, Maryland
How to Motivate Young People to Become Teachers The coming teacher shortage in this country's schools is cause for reflection on what measures would result in more young people deciding they want to become teachers. Most school districts have limited resources to address the obvious measures, such as higher pay. What if there was a way to motivate high school students to pursue a teaching career? At Richard Montgomery High School in Montgomery County Maryland, we have had success with a program that places student "interns" in classrooms to help other students. It helps our interns decide they want to teach, and in the process the program is helpful to their peers and to current teachers. Our program ("Rocket Corps," based on the school's nickname) is not going to solve the projected teacher shortage, which is estimated at over 2 million in the next 10 years. We are simply doing our small part, with the hope that our successful example will lead other school systems to follow. Moreover, the challenge that school systems face is not merely replacing soon-to-retire teachers. Increasingly, college preparation programs are seeking to expand the number of hours of pre-service training a prospective teacher receives. Public school systems are demanding that potential teachers spend more time in the classroom before they are certified to teach, and preferably start their student teaching experiences sooner. The Rocket Corps program seeks to address this requisite by providing high school students an early opportunity to participate in a teaching experience and develop an appreciation for the intrinsic rewards offered by the teaching profession. Some decide teaching is not for the--a good thing to discover before they commit to a degree program in education. But many more find working in the classroom is rewarding and decide teaching is the career they want to pursue. In some cases, the interns had no idea they would like teaching before their experience in the program. The objectives of the Rocket Corps program are fairly straightforward:
The Rocket Corps program began four years ago with 16 interns. There are now 90 interns and a waiting list of teachers who want interns in their classrooms. The interns apply and are accepted on the basis of meeting set criteria. They must be juniors or seniors, must have at least a 3.0 GPA, and must have an excellent record of attendance and behavior. Additionally, they must have achieved the goals and objectives in entry-level courses in English, math, science and social studies. A commitment to or intention of entering the field of education is not a requirement, and frequently is not the initial motive for the interns' participation. The program coordinator determines classroom assignment for each intern, based on stated strengths and interests. The interns are in classes of most departments at our school, based on teacher requests and needs. They attend their assigned class each day for the entire semester. As the coordinator of the program, I made the initial pitch to teachers in our school that the interns would help them and their students. Most teachers understand that frequently, a peer can find alternative ways of getting students to understand some things when the students don't process what the teacher is saying. After the first year of the program, the number of teachers requesting interns grew rapidly, based on recommendations from those who experienced the help of the interns. Interns plan with teachers in order to facilitate instruction, work with individual students, and, at the discretion of the cooperating teacher, the intern may present lessons. Interns often take notes and record daily attendance, keep a record of daily homework assignments, assist in test administration, re-teach and reinforce concepts, help absent students catch up on missed work when they return, prepare students for a quiz or test, do warm-up activities with the class, and work on a one-to-one basis with students having difficulties with a specific area of instruction. They provide continuity when a teacher is absent and a substitute comes into the classroom. Many lead small group instruction and tutoring sessions. Interns do not grade papers, submit grades into the teacher's grade book, or run errands. Their job is to reinforce curriculum in any and all ways possible, while at the same time experiencing what it is like to be a teacher. The interns receive academic credit and community service hours for each semester they are in the program. They must adhere to a dress code, because they are serving as role models. The interns are especially mindful of what is expected of them, in order to be able to continue their participation in the program. They see their roles as having status and respectability, besides giving them a sense of self- worth, and they do not want to risk losing that. Nearly all interns who have the opportunity to continue their participation after one semester do so, no matter what their original reason was for entering the program. In addition to their Rocket Corps classes, the interns have assigned readings on teaching theory and methods. They keep a daily journal on their classroom experiences as interns. They attend a weekly lunch meeting with the program coordinator for discussions of education methods and resolution of problems they might have performing their tasks. During these weekly sessions, interns explore issues such as classroom management, learning disabilities, the different ways that people learn, and the relationship between income and achievement. They have guest speakers on subjects such as:
How to Make the Program Succeed There are some hazards to be wary of in implementing this program. First, the teachers with interns in their classes must understand the purpose of the program, i.e. it is not to provide them an aide just for making copies. Teachers who do not understand how to utilize the interns do a disservice to themselves, the interns, and the students in the class. Second, if the school administration and particularly the principal do not support the program, teachers might not understand the program's purpose. I have been fortunate to have a very supportive principal. Third, the coordinator cannot merely place interns in classes and expect the program to run on automatic pilot. The program requires ongoing management and commitment of the coordinator to helping the interns be successful and to ensuring that teachers use the program effectively. The ingredients of a successful teaching intern program include the following:
What makes someone want to be a teacher? Some teachers grew up knowing that is the career they want to pursue. For many more, the example of a revered teacher leads them to the career choice. Others need a spark that ignites their interest in a teaching career. A mentoring/intern program in high school, if done well, can provide that spark. It certainly has done so for many future teachers at Richard Montgomery High School. |
 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
 |
| ||||||
| |||||||