Davis & Elkins College seniors working toward careers in education entered the final phase of their undergraduate experience by taking a lead in the classroom as student teachers. During the spring semester, each student completed assignments in area public school classrooms.
Student teaching is the culminating experience in the Teacher Education Program with teacher candidates working full-time in public school classrooms under the mentoring of a qualified co-operating teacher.
“With the help of our Professional Development School liaisons and school administrators, we pair our students with excellent classroom teachers who serve as mentors and help our students learn to take over classroom responsibilities,” said Davis & Elkins College Associate Professor of Education Dr. Jennifer Tesar, who also serves as field placement coordinator for teacher education.
Students working under the mentorship of co-operating teachers are: Vanessa Collette of Beverly, assigned to Stacie Friddle at TWES; Chase DeGrood of Bristow, Virginia, assigned to Cortney Price, Third Ward Elementary School (TWES); Kaitlin Dixon of Solon, Maine, assigned to Shellie Waybright at TWES; Allyson Green of Philippi, assigned to Sandy Wilmoth at Philippi Elementary School; Haley Grindstaff of Norfolk, Virginia, assigned to Kristy Given at North Elementary School; Courtney Roth of Oakland, Maryland, assigned to Mike White at Elkins Middle School; Morgan Sands of Elkins, assigned to Christina Harris at Elkins Middle School; Summer Turner of Bowden, assigned to Christie Alfred at Elkins Middle School; and Ava Willis of Falls Church, Virginia, assigned to Laurinda Cross at North Elementary School.
Green and Grindstaff are both completing a Clinical Teacher of Record program (CTR). A CTR program involves a partnership between a county board of education and Davis & Elkins College so that the pre-service teacher, during the last semester of the clinical experience, is hired by a county to fill a vacant position that has been posted and no other fully certified teacher has been employed.
The Davis & Elkins College Teacher Education Program prepares competent, caring and qualified teachers for schools in Appalachia and in national and global communities. Students seeking certification in elementary education grades K-6 undertake a major in elementary education, which leads to the awarding of a Bachelor of Arts degree. A student seeking certification in a content specialization (grades 5-9, and/or 9-adult) must declare a major outside of education with a declared minor in education. Students also may elect to major in special education.
Davis & Elkins College education students met with their co-operating teachers and Davis & Elkins College Associate Professor of Education and Field Placement Coordinator Dr. Jennifer Tesar for a session before beginning their experience in the classroom. Shown are Allyson Green, Morgan Sands, Vanessa Collette, Haley Grindstaff, Ava Willis and Chase DeGrood; right, Tesar, Christina Harris, Kaitlin Dixon, Courtney Roth, Summer Turner, Christie Alfred, Laurinda Cross, Shelly Waybright and Cortney Price.
