By Aja Harris
Staff Writer
6:30 A.M.: Prepare for the day’s lesson.
7:00 A.M.: Arrive at school and begin teaching.
12 P.M.: Meet with master teacher to evaluate the lecture.
3 P.M.: Hurry home to finish homework.
4 P.M. Attend actual college class.
Imagine going to school to teach and learn at the same time. College students attend universities intent to solely focusing on the learning process. However, Pepperdine students opting to receive a teaching credential as part of their undergraduate degree experience the thrills and frustrations of being students and teachers at the same time.
“I go from doing homework to creating homework,” senior Carmen Aybar sighs, a history major and teacher candidate. Aybar currently part-time teaches, but come this fall she will begin full-time teaching for 8 weeks. She eagerly awaits spending time at the front of the classroom, rather than behind a desk.
The Pepperdine education program is incorporated into an undergraduate subject-matter bachelor’s degree. The objective is to provide students the training and variety of experiences in different school situations necessary to qualify students for a multiple subject or single subject teaching credential. Students then must meet multiple requirements and accomplish certain responsibilities. In addition to completing a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.5 GPA, student teachers must pass a multitude of tests and certifications, including the CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills Test) and the CSET (California Subject Examinations for Teachers). Furthermore, students must receive a physical examination with tuberculosis clearance, meet the US constitution requirement and be certified by the FBI. An English major earning a single-subject teaching credential, Molly Oster understands the strict requirements.
“The school has to ensure that they’re getting able and sane people, especially since kids are involved,” Oster explains.
Students also take classes to prepare them for actual classroom scenarios they will eventually encounter. By taking 30 units of professional preparation classes in education, students receive knowledge and insight into ways to control the classroom, drive students and initiate progressive learning.
“The classes include the psychology and sociology of education, teaching of reading, methodology, culture and student teaching,” Credential Coordinator Susan Gibboney explains. “And, all the classes require fieldwork in the schools.”
Such fieldwork in local, diverse schools promotes relevant experience and crucial insight for developing teachers.
“While the required course classes are helpful in preparation and guidance, you learn the most when you’re actually teaching and utilizing what you’re learning in the classroom,” says Oster, who will begin full-time teaching in the fall.
“When the credential candidate is done, they have completed 250 hours in the classroom plus 18 weeks full time in a variety of grades, ethnic groups and school settings,” Gibboney states.
While student teachers should be motivated and desire to put in such hours, they receive ample amounts of support from course professors and master teachers whom they teach under in classrooms. Teacher candidates have their fellow student teachers for encouragement as well.
“Some of my favorite moments in the education program are spent with other student teachers,” teacher candidate Aybar says. “We all understand each other and so we can share in the irritations and rewards.”
With all the frustrations and time sacrifice, not many people would rush at the opportunity to concurrently take class and teach class.
“It takes a lot of heart, passion and dedication,” former student teacher and Pepperdine alumna Diane Farlow admits.
Farlow teaches the first grade at Juan Cabrillo elementary school in Malibu, California. On occasion, she serves as a master teacher to Pepperdine students who complete their part-time and full-time hours in her classroom. Running a classroom and attending graduate school, Farlow enjoys the presence of student teachers.
“It’s always nice having the extra help,” Farlow confesses. “Plus, they bring new ideas and energy to the class.”
As a master teacher, she not only advises but critiques student teachers, essential parts of growing as a teacher. While student teachers have similar career aspirations all relevant to education, they are still at different places in developing and honing their teaching abilities. How they have developed their passion for teaching and education is distinctive to each student. For one, some have planned to be teachers since they were little.
“Whenever people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would respond with a bunch of different professions each time, but teacher always came up in my answers,” Oster explains.
Still other students have only just had the revelation that teaching is their calling. Carmen Aybar only recently acquired her passion to teach. For the past two years, she spent her spring break with project serve going to the Dominican Republic to teach and assist at a local orphanage. The experience changed her life.
“I found out more about who I am and where I’m going,” Aybar exhales, her eyes lighting up as she goes through pictures.
Working at the orphanage in the Dominican Republic further opened her eyes to the way she wishes to teach. Having been there twice, she understands more the importance of leaving an impact on the students.
“When I went back the second time and saw all their progress, it was incredible. We had such a direct impact on their lives and it was showing,” Aybar gushes. “I want to make a difference like that in my own classroom.”
Making such a difference doesn’t come without struggle. Those enrolled in the education program strain to balance two main different roles in their lives: student and teacher.
“I’d say the main effort is balancing schoolwork with well schoolwork,” liberal arts major and teacher candidate Wednesday Kirven laughs.
Student teachers have to be students in one school setting and teachers in another. Knowledgeable of successful teaching methods, students then struggle through the classes of ill-advised professors.
“Once you learn to think in the mind of a teacher, it’s hard to think as only a student in your regular undergraduate classes,” Kirven explains.
For student teachers, it further becomes a struggle not being able to fully control students and have a larger presence in the classroom. When they teach in local schools, they are still under the guidance of a master teacher, so the classroom and students never feel like their own.
“The older students tend to behave perfect because their master teacher probably tells them the day before I’m teaching the next day,” Oster sighs. “So, you aren’t really getting real situations and students all the time which hampers the learning process.”
The daily frustrations, work, effort and sacrifice of course only mean more preparation and success for the day when student teachers become actual teachers.
“I can’t wait to have my own classroom,” Aybar says, in between listing off activities she hopes to accomplish in her classroom and ways she will decorate.
For student teachers, the ultimate reward to receiving a teaching credential so early is being closer to having your own classroom and consequently having an impact on the students. These education students look forward to the day they can call a desk, chalkboard, classroom and more importantly students their own.
Still, the classroom is just the setting. Teaching at its core implies an impact and satisfaction that continues well after the school bell rings at the end of the day.
“The biggest reward is seeing a child’s eyes light up in understanding. Seeing them get a concept, that’s priceless,” Aybar explains, her own eyes lighting up as well.
05-26-2005
