Put It to the Test: Benefits of Student Teaching

Throughout their time at The Valley, education students learn many concepts that help them become the teachers of the future. However, opportunities to apply these concepts enable students to truly learn and develop who they will be as teachers. LVC provides this opportunity by offering education majors multiple student teaching placements during their four years.

“It gives you the opportunity to learn about yourself, develop your teaching philosophy, and experience firsthand what it is like to touch so many lives in such a short period of time,” said Marleigh Palmer ’18, an education major at LVC.

Palmer was placed into a first grade class in Northern Lebanon with Mrs. Rebecca Foxwell, the 2016 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. Throughout her time with Mrs. Foxwell, she gained experience running a classroom, and helped make changes that will increase efficiency in the classroom through the use of technology.

“The students each have their own iPad, so I do my best to plan for the usage of those when appropriate in a lesson. Currently, my teacher and I are collaborating to introduce a new app called SeeSaw that can be used as a digital portfolio of a student’s work so both teachers and parents can see how the student is doing,” said Palmer.

Palmer feels that her time as a student teacher—in which she was regularly placed in unfamiliar situations—allowed her to grow in ways that she otherwise would not have. It also caused her to apply many things she learned throughout her time at LVC.

“There are so many things our professors teach us at LVC, but without practicing the application in the field, we would have no way to make mistakes and grow from them,” she said.

Being given the responsibility of running a classroom can be very intimidating, but also provides an opportunity to learn valuable lessons that change the way education students look at their future career.

“One of the things that I have learned that has stuck with me the most is that every child has the potential to learn. Being open-minded and supportive of the whole child, beyond academics, is the most important thing to do. No college course can teach you that,” said Palmer.

 

 

-- Adam Filbert, Marketing and Communications Intern