Students of Linda Mitten’s Early Childhood Workshop class had the opportunity recently to shadow teachers at South Street Elementary School and see first-hand what it’s like to be a public educator today.

Students were bused to the local elementary school and spent the day with teachers from kindergarten, first, second, third, and fourth grades.

“This class is generally geared to learning about education,” says Mitten. “Although not all students want to become teachers, I have about seven students who really wish to pursue a career in education.”

The class is open to anyone, but students are required to have completed a prerequisite of the Child Development class.

“All of these students have already taken child psychology or child development so this class really serves as a follow-up and advancement to what they have already learned,” Mitten states.

Since this class serves as a follow up course, students are introduced to the more advanced issues and lessons among education today.

“I try to expose them to the current issues in teaching,” says Mitten.

That’s why when the trip to South Street was announced, many students were eager about the opportunity.

“I was so excited when I heard about being able to shadow a teacher,” senior Hailey Posmantier says. “It was such an amazing opportunity to see what really goes on in a classroom.”

Students were exposed to teachers’ views on the Common Core State Standards and their experiences of being a teacher.

“I liked seeing the different techniques that the teachers used,” says senior Heidi Matias. “I also enjoyed seeing how the teacher dealt with a student or students who were not focused.”

The trip gave students hands-on experience in seeing real life examples of how to organize a classroom, how to deal with disruptive students, and also incentives and styles that many of the South Street teachers use.

“Anyone thinking of being in a classroom, or being a teacher needs to be in an actual classroom to get that first-hand experience before they decide if that’s a career path they want to take,” says Mitten.

For the students of Mitten’s class, this trip only increased their desires to become teachers.

“If anything, the experience solidified my desire to become a teacher, “says Jeff Garza, who is also a senior. “I discovered that I had an ability to connect with the children.”

Matias expressed similar thoughts, sharing, “After shadowing a teacher, it actually made me want to become a teacher even more.”

“This trip increased my interest and made me excited to teach,” says Posmantier.

As for the teachers and kids at South Street, they loved the experience just as much.

“I had one DHS student come into my class, “ says Tina Tenreiro, a kindergarten teacher at South Street. “She did a read-aloud with the kids and they loved it.”

Craig Fay, a fourth grade teacher, had two students from DHS shadow his class.

“ They worked with my students during math time finding factors of numbers in small group settings and helping students work on speeches for their upcoming class elections,” Fay says.

As for advice for the future teachers, Tenreiro says,  “Do what you love. You are teaching our future so always be kind, loving, and open-minded.”

“I would tell any young person who was interested in becoming a teacher that it is truly the best job that I could imagine,” Fay also advises. “Everyday is a new, wonderful experience.”

Photos Courtesy of Linda Mitten