by Maya Girimaji, section editor
The Roar interviewed junior Dakota Gray on her experience on her internships at CSISD schools through the class Ready, Set, Teach.
What is Ready, Set, Teach?
It’s a program that we have at Consol for people who want to be teachers later on in life. It doesn’t matter if they want to do elementary middle, high, or any time of teacher. It puts us out in CSISD schools so we can see what it’ll be like. And it really helps us decide if this is something we really want to do in the future. Mrs. Peterson is in charge.
How does it work?
Thursday was our last day at our first internship. We start the next internship at a new school and a new grade March 21st and we’ll be there until May 11th. We go three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period.
What do you do at the schools?
The first thing we do is sign in and then we go to the classroom we’re assigned to. I was in a head start class and basically whatever they’re doing we help with. We’re like an extra teacher. So we help with lessons, decorate doors and bulletin boards. We have to teach a lesson, also. Since mine were little, they really looked up to me like an actual teacher.
Why did you join?
I joined because I’ve always loved little kids and I did Tiger Buddies and that just showed me that I had a passion for working with little kids. I was actually one of the people who really helped promote [Ready, Set, Teach] and persuade people to join. I just love the kids and it looks great on resumes.
What has been the most memorable experience so far?
Valentine’s Day, because it’s completely different. In high school, nobody really celebrates it. If you’re in a relationship, you do your own thing. But back in elementary school, everybody loved decorating boxes and giving out cards. I had completely forgotten that it was Valentines Day until I showed up at my internship. And the little four and five year olds ran up to me with handmade cards and candy and said “Happy Valentines Day, Ms. Dakota. We love you”. It was memorable because I get to experience the high school life and I get to relive my childhood through the elementary kids.
Has this given you a good idea of what it’s like to be a teacher? How?
I think so. I could tell within the first two hours on my first day at South Knoll that this is what I want to do because I fell in love with those kids immediately.
What are your plans for the future next year and after you graduate?
Next year I only have a semester because I’m graduating early. I’ll be in Ready, Set Teach 2 and I’ll have one semester long internship at the school and grade of my choice. Once I graduate, I plan on taking the semester before college off and work and get my feet wet before I go to college. I plan on going to Sam Houston to major in Early Childhood Education.
What have you gained from this whole experience?
I gained a lot of respect for the teachers. I don’t think students at Consol realize how much work they put in every day. I have a complete new gratitude for everything that teachers do. Not only for all of the work they have to do for lessons, like doing it in a timely fashion and making it so that each student can understand but also for those teachers who have that connection with their students. That’s so extra for teachers when you think about all of the things that they already have to do and for teachers to take time out of their day and do something extra is just something that we don’t see and really appreciate.
What is something you wish people would know about this class?
It’s way more work than it seems like. We have to turn in weekly reports about our time there. Every week, we also have to write two journal entries that are about a page each. It’s not that hard but with all of the extra things we do it’s definitely adding on to our work. But it’s definitely worth it and I think that a lot more students should take it.
