The fourth-grade students sat around a u-shaped table at Daniel J. Flood Elementary School.
Tess Welles — a student herself — sat in the middle, listening to the children read a passage and answering questions about vocabulary words.
The senior at Wilkes-Barre Area High School spends every afternoon in the special education classroom. She wants to be a teacher, and the Wilkes-Barre Area School District’s Education Experience program has given her both confirmation and confidence.
“It has been such a rewarding program to be in. I have been the happiest out of all my four years of high school, just being able to come to school every day,” Tess said. “It's truly a gift that I get to come into different classrooms and just observe and see what's going on. I love it so much.”
With a national teacher shortage and area schools struggling to fill some positions, the Luzerne County district started the program three years ago.
High school seniors spend half the day taking core classes at school, and the rest of the day in a placement across the district. Students spend time with a different teacher and classroom each quarter.
“There is a shortage of teachers. So having that in mind, we wanted to promote the thought of being an educator … and then bringing them back in as student teachers, and then hiring them,” said Rochelle Koury-Speier, assistant to the superintendent.
Educator shortage
Many school districts and colleges have increased efforts to attract people to the teaching profession. The number of teachers certified by Pennsylvania yearly has declined 62% since 2010, according to state data.
Luzerne County Community College and Commonwealth University last week announced a new program to obtain a four-year teaching degree, without ever leaving Hazleton. East Stroudsburg University’s Aspiring Educator Pathway Program pairs high school students with mentor teachers for in-classroom experiences.
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Education launched a “refreshed” Teach in PA website, a resource for those interested in a career in education.
As of the 2023-24 school year, Pennsylvania’s largest teacher shortages exist in the following certification areas: Grades 4-8; Special Education PK-12; Mathematics 7-12; Life & Physical Sciences 7-12; and Career and Technical Education 7-12. The U.S. Department of Education has designated these areas as critical shortages.
Even if students think they want to pursue a specific grade level or subject, the program puts them in other placements as well.
“We make sure that they get all different experiences to see before they go to college, before they elect a major,” Koury-Speier said.
The district has developed relationships with Luzerne County colleges and universities, with the students able to take college-level courses while in the program and pursue scholarship opportunities for after graduation. A partnership with Building Blocks Learning Center has led to jobs for the students in an early childhood education setting.
A grant through the United Way of Wyoming Valley allows the students to purchase more professional clothing to wear in the classroom. A dozen students participate in the program this year.
“We are meeting the needs of the students, financially, educationally, socially, emotionally, as well as making an impact on the community,” Koury-Speier said. “I have not seen one downside to this program whatsoever.”
Finding a ‘calling’
Veteran teacher Lisa Giovannini led a lesson on the historical nonfiction genre in her fifth grade English Language Arts class at Solomon-Plains Elementary School. Paige Radjavitch, a Wilkes-Barre senior, watched closely.
“I also like to walk around and see how the students are doing and maybe give some additional aid to the teachers,” said Paige, who plans to attend Kutztown University to pursue a degree in early childhood education and special education. “I feel like I'm going to be better prepared for maybe observations or student teaching rather than just going in blind.”
As many teachers leave the field and fewer people decide to pursue the career, Giovannini said the program helps provide confirmation for students, as well as sometimes lead them away from education.
“It lets you see if this is what you truly want to do. It's not easy to be with children all day, to have them need you… Is this your calling or not?” she said. “And I think that when we bring these students down, they not only see what the job takes, but they see the added things that we do.”
Giovannini has hosted a student in her classroom for each quarter since the program started. They see the paperwork she must complete, and the need to address more than lessons. They see who needs a coat, who may be hungry and who may have an unstable life at home.
“Teaching is a calling, and you have to be ready to do it,” she said. “This is the best career you will ever have.”
Career confirmation
In the fourth-grade learning support classroom, Tess asks the students questions about the reading passage. Some days she helps keep students on task, reviews concepts with flash cards or offers additional help.
Teacher Annette Delasandro offers guidance, and for 2 ½ hours each afternoon, Tess is immersed in the classroom.
“Having been teaching for over 20 years now, it's not what it used to be. The challenges teachers face these days are much different than the challenges we faced even just 10 years ago,” Delasandro said. “Sometimes I say teaching is the last thing I do on a daily basis. You're making sure their bellies are full. You're making sure they have their glasses, or, you know, if they spilled breakfast on their shirt, that you're getting them a change of clothes, and all of those kind of things … Those basic needs, we tend to meet first, so that way the learning can happen.”
The experience has confirmed that Tess wants to be a teacher. She’ll pursue a degree in early childhood education at King’s College in the fall.
“The kids are so, so sweet. They really motivate me to keep going every day with this program. And I feel just so fulfilled being able to help other people, and the learning experience has been phenomenal,” Tess said. “I feel I've had something to take away from each day here.”
