High school students have many in-school and extracurricular activities available to them. Athletes labor for hours weekly on the field or in the gym. Musicians work meticulously to harmonize their voices or instruments. Many students take up activities that prepare them for their future careers. What activities are available to our future teachers?

Teacher Cadets is a two-year class offered to juniors and seniors as Teacher Cadet 1 and Teacher Cadet 2. Taught by Dr. Karen Curtis, also the instructor for early childhood development, this program provides unique education and real-world experiences to individuals interested in a teaching career.

Caty Jewell, a senior in her second year in the Teacher Cadets program, works at Round Hill Elementary. Jewell had known about the program back in her freshman year when she took Early Childhood Development with Dr. Curtis. Currently, Jewell will go two or three times a week to work with the students in her classroom and alongside the teacher. “My favorite part of the program is building a relationship with the students…Today, I went back in after a two week break because of the quarter change. I was just really excited to see them, and they were really excited to see me, and they got lots of hugs,” Jewell mentioned. 

Senior Riley Ortiz is also in her second year as a Teacher Cadet and plans on becoming an elementary school teacher. Like Jewell, she learned basic human development in year one of Teacher Cadets, followed by student teaching and observation at local elementary schools. “Last year I did kindergarten, and this year I did second grade,” Ortiz explained, stating that her student teaching experience happened at Mountain View Elementary School. “The biggest thing is learning the difference between thinking about educational theories in a classroom versus how they will actually apply in a classroom with students, and how different it is to be a teacher and to have students look up to you…being that sole role of a leader to them,” Ortiz expressed.

“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a teacher,” senior Lyla Seneca said. “I joined Teacher Cadet after being in Early Childhood [Development] so that I could get real life experience in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.” Seneca explained that she is “not really in the classroom” this year, and that year two Teacher Cadets spend most of their time getting real world experience in schools. “Being thrown into the professional world is kind of the best way to learn…I’ve learned the most from experience,” she shared. “Teaching is not cut and dry. You have to kind of adhere your curriculum to your students…You have to understand how to teach on the fly.  Being able to experience those things at such a young age has prepared me perfectly.” For a student looking to be a teacher, the Teacher Cadets program, or even just Early Childhood, should be something they consider to help them gain skills they need for the field.