During your time at Austin High, you may have had the opportunity to have student teachers in your classroom. Just a handful of Austin High School instructors get the chance to host student teachers from the University of Texas’s student teaching program. These student teachers get a few months of observing, mentoring under AHS’s teachers, and teaching two class periods. Their presence helps build more connections and smiles here at AHS!
At Austin High, it isn’t uncommon for student teachers to return here for their career. Many student teachers witness Austin High’s community and setup, and they just can’t get enough. This is Hajoon Bae’s first year as a teacher. Last year, he student taught under Ms. Quackenbush in physics. Mr. Bae is a physics instructor at heart; it is the subject he would always prefer to teach. So why was Austin High still his choice when Mr. Bae heard he would have to be an Algebra II teacher? Well, Mr. Bae described it as so, “I think being at Austin High is more important to me than teaching the subject that I want.” His reasoning behind that? “Because I thought that the people and the students were all great! The people, for me, make a place. And so if you have good people, it’s gonna be a good place.”
But teachers loving Austin High is no isolated event; Jane Pritchett had her student teaching year 2022-2023. Ms. Pritchett has enjoyed teaching a diverse and motivated classroom. She told reporters, “It’s a good mix of kids from all different backgrounds. Like I kind of looked into teaching at Eanes ISD, [within] Westlake High School, but it just didn’t feel [right], I just like a little bit more variety.” Austin High’s academy model helps create stronger relationships from Freshman to Sophomore year. Ms. Pritchett described, stating, “[it] makes a big school feel smaller, and I feel like I can be more supportive of my students.” It’s truly no wonder so many student teachers return.
But what is it like to be a student teacher? We have interviewed a few, and here is what they had to say. Christian Contreras was one of our student teachers last year. When asked about his year in the program he had replied, “I took over 2 class periods, so it was first and sixth and I slowly would, [over the] first few weeks, get to know y’all, but I had to fully take over and be your teacher, come up with lesson plans and then also just build a relationship with y’all.” he continued, “So it was stressful having that all planned out, it was really hard, but the actually teaching came a lot easier, like getting to work with y’all, your work and giving you feedback.” And during his first year now as a teacher, he feels grateful for the social foundation Austin High gave him. “It’s very rare that people get students they [have] already student-taught with. I think it makes it easier that I already know your names, [and] have already built a relationship with y’all. And so it’s just like continuing to build that relationship, whereas like other teachers like Mr. Bae or Ms. Wright, they have to first learn your names, learn who you are, and then I get to just hit the ground running in a way.”
What kinds of people are student teachers at Austin High? Well, when you look at Mr. Bae, you could describe his student teaching experience as resistance. When asked about his student teaching last year, he described his biggest lesson as “how radically different classes can be from one another.” He continued, “The thing that interested one class might have been completely boring to another. Or the way that I presented information here might have been really bad here.” He recalled a moment where he had setbacks, “I had this one really bad lesson where I tried something a little more ambitious, it went so south. And I spent the rest of that evening, basically remaking that day as a video and sending it to the class because I was like ‘this went so badly, it needs to change.’” And although it didn’t run smoothly, Mr. Bae had learned a great deal, and “I got more, not used to those bad days, but I now can see them coming a little better.”
It is a true testament to student teachers’ impacts when you walk into a classroom and see old students visiting. A relationship between a student and teacher has been curated by student teachers in a matter of months. Mr. Bae isn’t shy of classroom visitors, and those students helped him feel so much more welcome as he began his first year teaching. “Having my old students stop by saying hi has, especially the first couple weeks, [made] me feel like I was a part of Austin High… I’m in a different classroom, and there was a teacher in this classroom before me, and now I have to make it my own. And, having students that recognize me and know my name, was really important [for] that [adjustment],” said Mr. Bae.
Not only have student teachers built lasting relationships with students, but fellow instructors and student teachers have built great friendships. “I already knew some of the teachers, and they’ve all been very friendly, and being in this hallway has been really good to build a community here at Austin High,” said Mr. Bae. Also interviewed, Ms. Pritchett told reporters, “Austin High as a campus, all the other teachers were super supportive in getting me settled in.” As a whole, Austin High’s community is filled with open arms and kind people.
Student teachers’ first Austin High relationship is with their mentors. Mentors are an essential part of the process of student teachers becoming educators. Mentors are the first look into a classroom, and their teaching styles are personal, helping shape these student teachers. From lessons to connections, mentors are the segway for learning.
In Mr. Bae’s experience, Ms. Quackenbush brought passion and years of knowledge. Mr. Bae stated, “I think her experience in teaching a subject was so useful in terms of the material, the quality of the material I think was really, really good.” he continued, “and she as a person is very interested in what she does.” Mentors are truly inspiring teachers.
For Mr. Contreras, being in Mr. Meadows’ room taught him how to loosen up, not “rule with an iron fist.” He noticed how Mr. Meadows would not only focus on teaching, but also on the teacher-student relationship. Mr. Contreras stated, “Having him as my mentor helped me to loosen up a little bit, which I think is important sometimes. It’s important to have expectations and things like that, but I think you don’t want to rule.” Mr. Meadows continues to check in on Mr. Contreras as he settles into his own classroom.
When stepping into an instructor role, it is important to have an understanding of how students are. With this program, student teachers were able to see the demographics and truly understand what it is like to teach today’s students before being their main teacher. Now that Mr. Bae is a teacher, he is happy to have had this experience. “I got to learn the different ways to teach a classroom. The way that students learn, the way that friend groups work in a classroom, and see all those interactions.” He continued saying, “I would say that it gave me a better understanding of the demographics, and where the student body was coming from. What they would struggle with, what they would be really good at. I knew a lot of content that was an issue before I even started teaching Algebra II, before I even knew I was teaching Algebra II.” Ms. Pritchett was also no stranger to this lesson. She told reporters, “I feel like I have some experience under my belt, as opposed to just showing up for my teaching job clueless. So, [I’m] definitely grateful for my spring semester, doing student teaching full time.”
The student body has also felt the warmth. Noa Tsaig-Backor got to experience having a student teacher her Freshman year, with that same teacher becoming her Sophomore English II instructor. Tsaig-Backor felt that having a returning teacher is beneficial. “I think it’s nice to have history with the teacher, and have them know what you work with, who you’re friends with, and who you work best with.” When asked about Mr. Contreras returning, she told reporters, “I think it’s really nice to have familiar faces, it brightens your day when you see someone you already know, and a lot of them are happy to see us too. [It] reminds you of being in that class, it’s like nostalgia!”
Not only were student teachers bringing smiles, but having them in the classroom was beneficial to students. When asked how they were beneficial, Lielle Salomon said this about her student teacher: “I think that because she always tried to help us when we didn’t understand, and even if she didn’t know she would find out.” she continued, “if you had a question, even though the other teacher was teaching, she would take notes and help you!”
Student teachers are truly leaving their mark on this school. Each student teacher brings in new perspectives and positive impacts. Austin High’s community setup brings in new student teachers, and they want to stay. So next time you get a student teacher in your classroom, appreciate their presence, not only are they learning too, but they might just be your teacher next year!
