There are a few extra eyes on Dallas Center-Grimes students this year.
“Every day is a learning curve and a learning experience,” says DCG Student Teacher Major Johnson. “It’s also an adventure and not a bad adventure either.”
Johnson is one of three student teachers currently working with students at North Ridge Elementary. Behind every successful student teacher is a dedicated and driven classroom teacher, just like Kelcie Stratton.
“I thought how could I be like those mentor teachers that I had. What did they do to make me feel so welcomed and so comfortable with them?” shares Stratton. “It’s really important for me to pay it forward and have this opportunity.”
The partnership between Major and Kelcie has grown throughout the year. Major has learned about leading a first grade classroom while Kelcie watches with a prideful eye.
“I’m so excited to finally get my own classroom and get out and teach and do my own thing,” says Johnson. “I give a lot of credit to Kelcie and how she’s helped me grow into the teacher I am today.”
“They really see her as their classroom teacher, just as much as they see me,” adds Stratton.
Our first graders might be the biggest winners of this whole situation. Double the ideas. Double the interaction. Double the learning.
“I’ll watch Ms. Johnson handle some situations where students are struggling and I’ll just look and think, wow I’m going to do that next time,” says Stratton. “I’m going to try it the way Ms. Johnson tried it.”
“From day one we’ve connected and bonded and grown a lot of trust,” shares Johnson.
It’s clear that this partnership is paying off for everyone involved. Kelcie Stratton and the entire North Ridge team should feel proud. The next generation of educators are heading into the real world, with a really powerful perspective.
“There’s always a positive in each day. There’s always positives in a school district. There’s always positive in education,” says Johnson. “If we focused more on the positive and a little less on the negative, we can see how great education is.”