Children took a short break from playing with trucks, puzzles and dolls to hold a ribbon on Friday morning. With a ceremonial cut by Luzerne County Community College President Thomas Leary, the school opened a new classroom that will help train new teachers amid a national shortage.
The college unveiled the Marcella Nagorski-Waldow Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning after hosting area legislators for breakfast and a discussion about the teacher shortage.
“Just think about walking down this hallway for many years to come and hear these children playing and learning and enjoying and making friends. That's what the essence of education is all about,” Leary said. “We are so thankful. We are so proud to open and unveil this model classroom for the future.”
The number of teachers certified by Pennsylvania has declined 76% over the last decade. College leaders stressed the importance of district partnerships in helping train, and then retain, teachers. Community members asked legislators to do whatever they could to support districts and the profession.
As enrollment increases in both the Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre Area school districts, finding highly qualified teachers, especially for more specialized subjects, is becoming harder, superintendents said during the breakfast.
Inside the model classroom, half is set up for adult learning and the rest is an ideal spot for early childhood education. Adult students have flexible seating arrangements and easy access to books and other manipulatives when planning lessons.
Many of the 120 students in the program will pursue bachelor’s degrees after receiving an associate degree from LCCC.
Children from three Headstart classrooms on campus will regularly visit the new center and work with the LCCC students.
Kate Zielinski, early childhood education program coordinator at LCCC, called the classroom a recruiting tool that will benefit all students – those in college and preschool.
“I think that it's going to give our students those tangible skills that are needed when they're out in the field and as future teachers,” she said.
