This year, Fenton High was introduced to four new student teachers: Nicholas Juip, Rebecca Tuuri, Rachel Ockerman and Sal Ausiello. Each has a mentor to assist with day to day challenges in the classroom and help them improve their teaching skills.

“Student teaching has been one of the best and most difficult experiences of my life,” Juip said. “Lesson planning every night, teaching everyday, and trying to balance everyday life has been very challenging. Eventually though, after the first few weeks, I took full teacher responsibility.”

With every challenge comes a reward. Even when facing the difficulties of teaching, the student teachers have a positive outlook on their chosen profession.

“Being able to come here everyday, make jokes and be myself is one of the most rewarding things about being a teacher,” Juip said. “The little things that make my day are watching the kids finally figure out a answer to a question they’ve been struggling with or seeing their smiles and greetings in the hallway.”

With the teachers interacting with their students on a daily basis, bonds can easily be formed within a short time period.

“I am loving my time here,” Tuuri said. “I only have nine more school days in Fenton; that makes me excited to graduate, of course, but also sad to leave my classes. The students in Fenton are such an amazing bunch to work with. They are all such respectful and fun students who are clearly here to learn and succeed. I really do wish I could have stayed through the end of the semester.”

Each teacher has gained a new set of skills from the time they have spent at Fenton High. From their first day to their last, growth has been made in all aspects of their lives. .

“So much has changed since my first day working at Fenton,” Ockerman said. “Truthfully, I was nervous to start student teaching because I didn’t know what to expect, but I was still excited to start this new chapter in my life. With the support and guidance from my mentor teachers, Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Starr, I feel like I have grown so much, and not just in my professional development, but overall as a person. I have learned a great deal from my teachers and my students on what it means to be a teacher.”

When students learn from teachers, teachers also learn from students. This was especially the case with student teachers, as they rely on each other to create a classroom environment that is beneficial for both.