Program molds teachers of tomorrow

The topic for the class was photography, but teacher Teresa Winston inserted a lesson in lessons among the tips, techniques and definitions.

Winston, the fine arts coordinator at Blake High School, recently gave students a behind-the-scenes peek at how she had planned her lecture - something that could come in handy for students who may be her colleagues in a few years.

The Hillsborough County School District is training future teachers through a new magnet program that introduces students to the education field in ninth grade. If the students do well, they can get college paid for and, maybe best of all, possibly jobs in Hillsborough schools when they complete their degrees.

Blake, Middleton and Hillsborough high schools launched the Urban Teaching Academies this school year. About 70 freshmen are participating. Each year the district will add a grade until students are enrolled from ninth through 12th grades. The Hillsborough Education Foundation is raising money for scholarships.

Students take their regular academic classes and attend the teaching program for one period daily as an elective. Students not only learn the material - they learn how they might teach it.

They don't only read a book and take tests. They dissect topics like teachers would and learn how to highlight facts in lessons. They use classroom technology in projects - from the computerized, interactive "Smart Boards" to old-fashioned overhead projectors - so they know what choices they have when putting together their own curricula.

A field trip Blake is taking to Tampa landmarks exposes them to their hometown and may come in handy one day, if they ever teach about local history. The photography lesson explains point of view, contrast and scale, but Winston also explains how she gets students to interact while learning definitions and the things she considered while structuring the class.

Learning from experience

Although academy students haven't spent much time teaching, that will change by the end of the school year. They will shadow teachers at their schools for a day, getting a look at how teachers manage the time between bells, take attendance, maintain discipline and prepare lectures. Later, they will spend their class period working in elementary schools.

The amount of teaching time will increase as they get closer to graduation. If the students keep their grades up and get into college, they agree to major in education and return to the district to teach in an urban school for three years.

With Florida's unemployment rate nearing 10 percent, a guaranteed job after graduation seems ideal. School districts haven't been immune to the downturn, with enrollment dropping and budgets tightening. Hillsborough has proposed unpaid furloughs, reducing time in arts classes and not renewing contracts of highly paid veteran teachers who returned to the district after retirement.

But the district does not anticipate problems delivering on its job pledge, said Susan King, the school district's magnet supervisor.

The first graduates won't come into the work force for seven years, giving the economy time to rebound. In a worst-case scenario, the district still would have positions to fill. King said teachers will encourage students to become marketable, so they could teach in multiple areas, for example, or teach subjects that are difficult to staff.

School district officials also will keep in touch with students during college and will know their qualifications when they go on campuses to recruit.

Hillsborough will take applications for the Urban Teaching Academy and other magnet programs from Monday through April 24. King hopes to accept 25 students for each school.

Broward County, which launched its teacher training program in 2000, will welcome its first graduates this fall, said Malease Marko Berg, the coordinator for Broward's Urban Teacher Academy.

Hillsborough based its program on Broward's, after King and schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia saw it demonstrated at a conference.

Broward has 409 students at five high schools. About 80 percent of students stick with the program from ninth through 12th grade, and between 85 percent and 90 percent of them go on to college, Berg said.

Only two students will graduate this fall because the academy started with fewer students at fewer schools. Next year, Berg expects seven to 10 schools will be part of the program. Though numbers will increase, they will max out at about 150 students per year.

Students also complete college at different rates. The scholarship Broward offers pays for two years at Broward College, plus two years at Florida Atlantic University or Nova Southeastern University, but students can get their degrees anywhere. Some take longer to graduate, and others pursue master's degrees.

The students commit to teaching in urban schools but could be placed elsewhere if no positions are available at those spots. Berg checks in with them regularly.

They can be role models

The potential teachers are ethnically diverse, and about 90 percent are the first in their families to attend college, Berg said. Like Hillsborough's program, the Broward academy is open to anyone but hopes to attract students from inner-city schools who would relate to their future students.

"The younger kids see young women and men who look like them who maybe went to that school and take education seriously," Berg said.

Blake High School freshman Marq Patton said he has been learning what it's like to be a teacher and how to talk to children. Giving presentations to his classmates has forced him to think about his material and how to present it.

"I knew what it's about, but I had to ask the class, 'What's on your mind,'" said Patton, 16. "I love to talk, so I made sure they stayed on task."

Patton said he hopes to teach physical education at a high school.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity for me in life," he said. "I joined it because I love to teach. I'm not good in the books, but I like to teach kids."

At Hillsborough High, students meet with Sandra Marra, who teaches autistic students, and visit her class each week to work with them.

After learning that many of the students couldn't tie their shoes, the teaching students practiced with them on paper shoe models with yarn laces they made. That was after teacher Denice Stanforth showed them a Web site offering tips and asked the students to choose a teaching method.

Working with the autistic students also exposes the potential teachers to different types of special needs they may encounter, Stanforth said.

Stanforth said she loves having a hand in creating future educators. She looks forward to going to school every day, and she hopes her high school students get a taste of that.

"I love children. I love teaching. I love being able to give back to students, especially in my field," she said. "I'm hoping my students will get the same feeling that this is a calling. This is a passion."