eAfter a long day of teaching, English student teacher Jessica Berberich starts her last block of the day with as much energy and enthusiasm as she had at the beginning of the day. There’s an upbeat vibe in the room as  Berberich waits for her English 12 class to quiet down so they can continue their discussion over “Frankenstein.” For Berberich, student teaching is not just about the teaching.

“For me, it’s less about the specific content. I want them to enjoy reading,” Berberich said. “I am also trying to effectively prepare the seniors for college.”

Berberich is just one of four student teachers at the school. Berberich orginally started as a music education major but her mom helped her change her mind.

“[My mom told me that] there’s only one band teacher at every school, which is what changed my mind,” Berberich said. “I was planning on doing both but ended up dropping music.”

Senior Knute Holden believes Berberich is a great addition to the classroom and is a positive role model.

“She brings a lot of energy to the classroom and she keeps everyone involved,” Holden said. “It’s also a lot of help having two teachers in the classroom. Since I plan on becoming a teacher, it’s good to see how student teachers handle themselves in a classroom before I do it in the future.”

English teacher Lindsey Prewitt said that having a student teacher is beneficial not only for the class, but for herself as well.

“I think having a student teacher is very nice. It’s nice to have an extra person to answer questions and help students with needs,” Prewitt said. “It is also nice to have fresh ideas. It allows me more time to grade and prepare for other units.”

Math student teacher Melissa Graham has a different reason for teaching, one that traces back to her adolescence.

“My mom was a math teacher when I was growing up,” Graham said. “In high school, I helped the students who were struggling in my math class. I chose [to be a] math [teacher] because I really like that math has a definite answer and I thought the best way to be productive was to be a teacher.”

Although Berberich and Graham may have different perspectives on why they teach, English student teacher Sydney Stallbaumer has a more traditional view on teaching.

“I love literature,” Stallbaumer said. “English is something everyone uses throughout life and I see the uses of it beyond high school.”

Sophomore Isabelle Acree enjoys having Stallbaumer as a student teacher.

“I really like [Ms. Stallbaumer],” Acree said. “We talk a lot about college and she’s really easy to talk to. I think we have a really good relationship.”

Stallbaumer stresses the importance of having good relationships with her students.

“I think relationships with students are really important,” Stallbaumer said.   “Until your students trust you, it doesn’t really matter what you’re trying to teach them.”