You will find ESU student Morgan Barton in art teacher Erica Crist’s room all day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays helping around the classroom.

Crist said Barton has been volunteering his time “to observe class, maintain the studio, help teach advanced ceramics and working on his own art.”

Barton is doing this to get the experience of being in classroom and teaching students.

“Art Ed is my major and I double major in ceramics,” Barton said. “I wanted to see what an actual classroom was like.”

Crist has been thankful for the extra help in her classroom when students need help.

“When kids want to use the potter’s wheel they get more one on one attention. I would say that’s the main thing,” Crist said. “I’m much less frazzled during class because I don’t have students calling for me all the time.”

Crist said Barton has been helping kids get more attention and has also helped set up new potter’s wheels in their classroom.

Barton believes volunteering at Mill Valley has helped him remember why he wanted to be an Art Ed major.

“You get to a certain point in college and you’re almost graduated and you’ve spent almost $20,000 and you’re like what am I doing here?” Barton said. “I wanted to come here to remember what I was doing this for. This has reminded me why I wanted to become a teacher.”