Our latest episode in the DCG High School Senior Spotlight showcases not one but three School-to-Work interns at DCG. Elle Wedeking started her internship with second grade teacher, Mrs. Reed, at North Ridge and moved to Mrs. Smother’s Oak View English class in early March. Callie Weible interns for Mrs. Grove, a fourth-grade teacher and Thuai Hniang shadows Mrs. Irlmeier, a kindergarten teacher, both working at North Ridge.
An opportunity not often provided, these high schoolers got a head start at student teaching in the district, all in grades they are interested in. Not only were they able to learn and grow from their experience before heading off to college, but they were also able to create real connections and memories throughout their six months.
Elle shares, “I’ve learned a lot about how to gain mutual respect from the students. Especially when they’re so close to my age. I’ve learned how to get on their level and try to understand them.” She then adds, “With the second graders, I learned that I can’t just tell them what to do, I had to first get them to trust me and show them that I trust them. That has been the most valuable thing I have been able to learn.”
These students got to step into a classroom as helpers and teachers, but they also got to learn as well.
Callie says “school-to-work has been so helpful and such a great experience because, by watching Mrs. Grove and other teachers in their classroom, I have been able to take away some great things, such as classroom management, lesson plans, etc. It will be so nice to have some experience under my belt once I get to college and have my own classroom.”
Some might say Elle got the best of both worlds, getting to teach second graders, then trying out middle school English. Elle would agree. She says, “the transition from second grade to middle school was kind of jarring and nerve-racking at first. But Mrs. Smothers was super helpful and knew that I was coming from second grade, so she was able to tell me what to expect with the middle schoolers.”
Elle also notes that “this all has made me a lot more confident in my abilities. I used to be a lot more afraid of talking to people and never wanted to make people uncomfortable, but this has taught me to push myself to talk to people. It also really solidified that this is what I want to do and took away anything I was unsure of, and I am so excited to teach.”
For students who are looking forward to graduation in just under a month, they have shown how ready they are to be back at DCG or back in a classroom, but teaching this time.
*The DCG High School Senior Spotlight Series is produced by Rylee Renz, a school-to-work senior in the DCG Communications department.