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Northland College students step in front of the classroom

January 7, 2013

Students are settling back into their school routines after the holiday break, but it won't be business as usual for some Northland College students. Students from the Teacher Education Program at Northland College will be teaching lesson plans instead of listening to lectures this winter. They will work with teachers in Chequamegon Bay area schools to help pupils reach new levels of learning.

"Our student teachers are bringing new ideas, enthusiasm, and a dedication to the integration of subject matter into the classroom," said Dr. Annette Nelson, associate professor and director of teacher education at Northland College.

The Teacher Education Program at Northland College prepares students to lead in the classroom. Around 15 to 30 Northland students become student teachers each year at surrounding school districts, including Ashland, Washburn, Bayfield, Mellen and Hurley. Students in the program absorb a variety of skills and theories from child and adolescent development to lesson management. In Wisconsin, student teachers are required to complete at least 100 hours of clinical experience in classrooms prior to student teaching.

Cooperating teachers in area schools supervise and guide Northland student teachers, said Barb O'Brien, director of curriculum and instruction for the School District of Ashland.

"The student teaching placements allow the school district to support and enhance the teaching profession," said O'Brien. "Student teachers have skills that can be shared with cooperating teachers, especially in the area of technology and research-based teaching strategies. Student teachers are current on educational topics such as Common Core State Standards, differentiation, and progress monitoring."

Participants in the Teacher Education Program at Northland College are already making a difference in area classrooms. Kathy Buvala, interim gifted and talented coordinator for the School District of Ashland, said the program put her in touch with her passion for teaching learners at the highest ability levels.

"I now work with K-12 students in five schools throughout the School District of Ashland," said Buvala. "Without my strong teacher preparation program, clinical experiences, and student teaching mentors, I would have been unprepared to meet the needs of my gifted students."

The relationship among students, local schools and Northland College benefits all involved, according to Nelson.

"We are very appreciative of the many classroom teachers who are willing to give back to the profession by hosting our students," said Nelson.

Northland College is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (WACTE), a professional organization composed of the Wisconsin institutions that prepare individuals for initial teacher licensure. WACTE teacher preparation programs offer diversity in size, focus, and delivery, but all are designed to prepare quality teachers for Wisconsin's schools. WACTE is an affiliate of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).