This article was originally published in the Reading Eagle:
https://www.readingeagle.com/2024/05/09/superintendents-forum-finding-tomorrows-teachers/
By: Mr. Robert Scoboria, Wyomissing Area School District Superintendent
Thursday, May 9, 2024
“Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions,” a wise writer, whose name is unknown, once said.
Wyomissing School District offices are connected to our junior-senior high school, which supports students in grades seven through 12. This proximity facilitates opportunities to interact with students as they start the school day, work through their class and lunch periods and participate in extracurricular programs after the bell rings. Our teachers, counselors and principals do amazing work each day helping our students prepare for diverse professional fields. As our students grow, we know that within a few years they will be changing the future through their careers.
As an educator and son of two teachers, I believe that more talented students should consider the rewarding field of education. Pennsylvania is experiencing a shortage of available teachers, and this impacts all communities.
Fortunately, Berks County schools are developing programs and partnerships to prepare tomorrow’s teachers. Perhaps the strongest among these programs is when high school students serve as interns in elementary or special education classrooms under the guidance of veteran teachers. I caught up recently with two impressive Wyomissing interns to get their feedback on this interactive experience.
Payton Wagner is a senior who spends a portion of her day working with sixth-grade students. Payton shares that she has built relationships and enjoys helping students complete their assignments. This experience has helped her learn about the work that teachers complete behind the scenes to prepare lesson plans and materials for each school day. She will head to PennWest California next year to study early childhood education and recognizes the value this internship provides to help her pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.
Estelle Benedict, a junior better known by her friends and teammates as “EP,” is completing an internship in our secondary autistic support classroom. EP cites reading with students, practicing communication skills and supporting community-based learning trips as her favorite activities. EP has stepped forward to serve as Wyomissing’s Unified Sports Ambassador and captain of our bocce ball team, which provides students of all ability levels an exciting opportunity to compete together. EP plans to intern again next year and then pursue a dual degree in special education/early childhood education.
Over my 30 years in public education, I have learned that teaching is primarily a regional pursuit for young people. Given the high cost of housing, many teachers begin their careers where they have family support. This point is reinforced when we attend job fairs and interact with college students from different areas. Most of these teacher candidates are applying to schools located near their families.
This hiring reality emphasizes the need to support Payton, EP and all the local students exploring careers in education. These talented students walking our school hallways are tomorrow’s teachers. It is our job to facilitate opportunities to help them explore this career, just as we do in other fields of study.
I am encouraged that our state officials are developing initiatives to address the teacher shortage. Local colleges and universities are providing amazing opportunities for high school students to enroll in education courses. The Berks County Intermediate Unit has stepped forward to organize and strengthen the work our districts are doing.
Let’s all continue to do our part to recruit and encourage tomorrow’s teachers. Our classrooms and communities need them, and our future depends on them.