Madeline Jacks
Staff Writer
“Crisscross, applesauce — just like first-graders!”
So says Miss Stewart to Mrs. Farlow’s first-grade class at Juan Cabrillo Elementary School.
“I’m waiting for a patient hand before I call on someone to help me with the weather today.”
The gentle tone of Deanna Stewart, a soon-to-be teacher, captures the children’s attention as she successfully controls a classroom of pupils that does not belong to her, yet. Stewart, a senior at Seaver College, is pursuing a liberal arts degree while she works toward her multiple-subject teaching credentials.
Seaver College boasts a large humanities and teacher educationdivision, offering credentials in both multiple and single subject teaching, as well as a professional credential. The liberal arts major is recommended for the multiple-subject credential and the teaching subject major is recommended for the single-subject credential.
In order to eventually teach in a self-sustained classroom, students must first learn to teach in classrooms in their area of interest. For Stewart, this means more than 500 hours devoted to observing and student teaching in a real elementary school classroom.
Stewart began the exploratory process of becoming a teacher by observing at Our Lady of Malibu School during the second semester of her sophomore year. In the first two semesters of the credentialing process, students must observe in a classroom for 20 hours and then 50 hours the third semester.
The next semester requires 150 hours of part-time student teaching. During the last semester the student teaches full time, and must be in the classroom all day, every day.
Stewart is about 100 hours away from fulfilling her part-time student-teaching requirement this semester. However, she will graduate in April 2005 and continue to complete her student teaching hours after receiving her degree.
Every Monday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., Stewart is living out a small piece of her dream in Diane Farlow’s classroom at Malibu’s Juan Cabrillo. Some days she spends most of her time teaching, and on other days she is able to spend individual time with each student. Stewart also fulfills her hours by prepping for the class by grading papers or cutting out shapes and pictures for art projects.
“The easiest thing for me to do in a classroom is to teach, though,” Stewart said. “It comes naturally to me, and I love to sit one on one with individual students and help them develop a concept. I love it.”
Stewart said she dives into her work with determination and interacts with the kids with a contagious passion. No one would doubt that Stewart is entirely capable of controlling the seemingly uncontrollable atmosphere of a first-grade classroom. Whether she’s grading papers in the back, or leading circle time up front, Stewart strives for excellence.
Farlow, Stewart’s master teacher, said Stewart is doing a fabulous job. As a teacher in the student teaching program, Farlow observes Stewart and takes detailed notes of her work, offering suggestions, critiques and positive feedback.
Having taught in the same classroom for two years, Farlow already has lessons prepared for each day. However, she said she asks for Stewart’s input frequently, and they often discuss what worked or did not work effectively.
“It’s so hard for me to not jump in and help,” Farlow said, restricting herself from teaching while it is Stewart’s turn.
When student teachers are working, they are in complete charge of the class. If a student asks the master teacher for help, they will be redirected to the student teacher. The master teacher is forced to sit and observe. In most cases, the master teacher is synonymous with encourager, as the experienced teacher compliments the student teacher’s teaching methods and offer gentle advice when needed.
“The hardest thing for me in the classroom is disciplining,” Stewart confessed. “I really am not sure at this point what is too harsh and what is not harsh enough. Since this is not my classroom I never want to undermine Mrs. Farlow’s position by disciplining something she wouldn’t discipline, or by not disciplining something she wants addressed.”
Both master and student teacher agree that watching their first-graders finally grasp a difficult concept or learn to follow directions the first time is very rewarding. Throughout the day one can look in Room 22 to see the pupils wearing their “magic reading glasses” as they participate in silent sustained reading by themselves. According to Farlow, the children can wear these neon plastic toy glasses to make reading more exciting.
After devoting so many days to Farlow’s classroom, Stewart cannot wait to teach on her own. She said she hopes to teach in the primary grades, either kindergarten, first or second, but said she will gladly accept whatever teaching job she can get. She plans on pursuing teaching in Southern California for the first few years and then will probably relocate to her hometown of Monterey.
11-4-2004
