Over the past 4 years, Rock Island High School students have gotten the chance to explore the idea of a possible career in teaching. Many students have loved this program, including Mallory Hudnall and Ella Leahy. Both students are first year interns in the program, but while only being a month into the school year, both feel they are already making a big impact in the classrooms.
Hudnall is a junior at Rock Island High School. She is an intern at Rock Island Center for Math and Science in the first grade, for Mrs. Julie Hansen. Hudnall explains, “I chose to do first grade with Mrs. Hansen at RICMS because I had a previous relationship built with Mrs. Hansen, and I know that I want to pursue teaching younger kids.” In the internship, students can either choose a morning placement or an afternoon placement, with morning being periods 1 and 2 (8am to 9:42am), or afternoon being periods 7 and 8 (1:30pm to 3:18pm). Hudnall stated, “I love being in the morning vs. the afternoon because it is less stressful of a morning for me. I don’t have to rush in the morning to be able to get to my placement on time. I also enjoy the morning because I feel that I have a better connection with my students, due to the fact that I see them right as they are getting to school.”
Leahy is also a junior at the high school, who does her placement at Denkmann Elementary under Mrs. Stockell. She states, “I chose Mrs. Stockwell because she was my second grade teacher, and I really get along with her well, and I chose second grade because they are still nice, and don’t try to talk back.” During the 2 hour period they are with the students, Leahy states, “My favorite part is building relationships with the kids, and getting to see them so happy every day, and see them grow in what they are learning.” With this program, it allows students to be able to experience what it feels like to be a teacher. She states, “I think teachers are so important because it makes us who we are. If you have a good teacher, you are gonna learn things. If you are a bad teacher and not liked, kids aren’t gonna wanna listen.”
Education Internship is one of the most important and hands on program Rocky has to offer, which leads to endless opportunities and possibilities when it comes to the Education field. With the help of this program, Hudnall and Leahy both hope to pursue their interest in the education field by majoring in elementary education and becoming teachers after they graduate.
