Prospect High students get a chance to help teach District 57 classes
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Prospect High School student Grace Cassaidy reads to Fairview Elementary School second-grade students. Courtesy of Mount Prospect School District 57
A trio of Prospect High School students recently could be spotted in Mount Prospect Elementary School District 57 classrooms as part of a program giving high schoolers interested in teaching careers an early look at the profession.
Northwest Suburban High School District 214's Education Academy is a two-credit student teaching program exposing the students to various teaching settings, including special education and English-language learners.
Prospect senior Grace Cassaidy recently worked with students in Amanda Fouch's class at Fairview Elementary School in Mount Prospect. "I want to be a teacher because I want to make a difference in the lives of young students," Grace said.
While reading a story to the class, she involved the students by asking them to predict what might happen next Later, the students split up into groups to work on a project based on the story.
The experience gave Cassaidy the opportunity both to teach and learn from the classroom teacher.
Two other Prospect students in the program, Maggie Luncsford and Molly Gilhooly, worked with teachers at Lincoln Middle School in Mount Prospect. Maggie worked alongside eighth grade English language arts teacher John Bonadurer and Molly with physical education teacher Seth Parker.
"It is extremely rewarding to see Lincoln students come back into our classrooms through Prospect's EdAcademy," Bonadurer said. "As high school seniors, they can give great guidance to our eighth graders, who are about to start the next chapter of their lives very soon themselves.
"My hope is that the EdAcademy leads Lincoln students toward the field of education as a career, and I would love for them to come back and teach here."