The future of teaching begins with one class: Careers in Teaching. Students can get a preview of the real world at Wilson Elementary School, where they will be teaching their own lesson plans.
This class has been inspiring juniors and seniors to pursue a career in which compassion and the drive to change lives are highly important.
Cal students take their first step in teaching by interning at various schools, such as Montevideo Elementary School and Pine Valley Middle School, where they sit and watch classes, assist teachers in any possible way, and hope to learn something new.
Presented with their first official challenge, these students took a field trip on Monday to teach a class of 30 kids at Cal’s sister school, Wilson Elementary in Richmond.
“When we got to teach it was effortless because even though they may not have as much as we do, the students really just want to learn and be loved too,” said senior Amanda Fagenson when asked about her previous experiences at Wilson.
These students are given the opportunity to head start their teaching career. CIT gives students an upper hand when it comes to succeeding in the field of their choice, and provides them with teaching skills they can use for the rest of their lives even if they don’t end up in a classroom.
“I want to make an impact on people’s lives, and if I inspire just one person I will have accomplished something,” said senior Oren Abrahams.
Many students who take CIT have a passion for teaching and influencing lives. When asked why they took the class, many students said teacher Cindy Bonagura had inspired them and changed the way they saw teaching as a career, and they too want to influence future generations.
Some students who have no idea what they want to teach in the future take this class and find themselves surrounded with different opportunities.
“I knew I wanted to teach, but I just didn’t know what,” said senior Jennifer Gill. “CIT showed me which age group and subjects I like best,”, who’s taken this class twice.
“CIT gives a look into the career of teachers and 25% of the students in the class do become teachers,” said Bonagura. “Others become doctors, nurses and psychologists.”
As much fun as it is however, CIT opens the eyes of its students to the real world and the conditions others live and learn in, outside of San Ramon.
“It’s kind of crazy to think about some of the things the kids here in the San Ramon complain about. We have it all in this area, most of the kids at Wilson have been through more than some Cal high students will ever,” said Abrahams.
Teaching an entire lesson plan at Wilson will truly be the test of whether these students are cut out for the teaching profession.
“We all get lots of practice teaching in our internship classrooms,” said Gill. “Now we just need to perfect our lessons for Wilson.”
Over the years however, some students have really shown a passion in teaching and love it more than anything.
“I dropped another class at the [beginning of the] semester and begged Mrs. Bonagura to let me into her class,” said Fagensen. “And I just love hanging out with kids!”
It’s important to understand however, that the kids at Wilson don’t have the same opportunities as us, and they have a high population of parents who haven’t graduated from college. These families are lacking the options that many students at Cal already have.
“They’re not less able to learn, they’re poor,” said Bonagura about the excited students at Wilson. “We live in a bubble here in San Ramon.”
Imagine, Wilson is in the same county as us, but its API score is much lower than any of the schools in San Ramon. CIT exists to inspire bright minds to teach students who need a good future and who want to learn. Students at Wilson come from poor families and families who haven’t had the easiest lives. These students haven’t had the best education handed to them on a silver platter.
“They have the capacity to learn, they just need great teachers and new facilities,” said Bonagura.
Many people take CIT because they need an extra class to fill up their schedule, or think that it’s an easy A, or even because they get to leave school early.
“There’s work, but it’s not hard work,” said senior Amaya Batiza. “We leave school only to go to another school and teach there. Either way we’re still at school.”
What students at Cal don’t realize, however, is the amount of effort required in this class, to prepare to teach on their own and be responsible for someone’s education for an entire day.
“Be in this class to make a difference in the lives of kids,” said Bonagura.
Needless to say, the majority of students in this class recommend it, even if the idea of teaching is still an option or possibility.
idea what they want to teach in the future take this class and find themselves surrounded with different opportunities.
“I knew I wanted to teach, but I just didn’t know what,” said senior Jennifer Gill, who has taken the class twice. “CIT showed me which age group and subjects I like best.”
Bonagura said that 25 percent of students in the class go on to become teachers, and the others go on to become doctors, nurses, and psychologists.
“CIT gives a look into the career of teachers,” said Bonagura.
As much fun as it is, CIT also opens the eyes of its students to the real world and the conditions others live and learn in, outside of San Ramon.
“It’s kind of crazy to think about some of the things the kids here in the San Ramon complain about,” said Abrahams. “We have it all in this area, and most of the kids at Wilson have been through more than some Cal students will ever (go through).”
Teaching an entire lesson plan at Wilson will truly be the test of whether these students are cut out for teaching.
“We all get lots of practice teaching in our internship classrooms,” said Gill. “Now we just need to perfect our lessons for Wilson.”
Over the years however, some students have shown a true passion in teaching and love it more than anything.
“I just love hanging out with kids!” said Fagenson.
It’s important to understand, however, that kids at Wilson don’t have the same opportunities as Cal students because they have a high population of parents who haven’t graduated from college. These families are lacking the options that many local students already have.
“They’re not less able to learn, they’re just poor,” Bonagura said about the excited students at Wilson. “We live in a bubble here in San Ramon.”
Although Wilson is in Contra Costa County just like schools in San Ramon, its API score is much lower than any of the local schools. CIT exists to inspire bright minds to teach students who need a good future and who want to learn.
Students at Wilson come from poor families and families who haven’t had the easiest lives. These students haven’t had the best education handed to them on a silver platter.
“They have the capacity to learn, they just need great teachers and new facilities,” said Bonagura.
Many students take CIT because they need an extra class to fill up their schedule, think it’s an easy A, or even because they get to leave school early.
“There’s work, but it’s not hard work,” said senior Amaya Batiza. “We leave school only to go to another school and teach there. Either way we’re still at school.”
What students at Cal don’t realize is the amount of effort required in this class, to prepare to teach on their own and be responsible for someone’s education for an entire day.
