Terra Linda High School has welcomed many new student teachers onto campus this year. Student teaching is a halfway point between learning and educating, and offers an opportunity for prospective teachers to gain hands-on experience in the classroom.
As part of an advanced degree program, often a Master of Arts in Teaching or a Master of Education, graduate students sometimes complete a teaching internship where they observe an experienced educator, slowly gaining more responsibility in the classroom over the course of the year.
When the chance to have a student teacher presents itself, department chairs are typically asked to pick a teacher within their department that would be willing to take on this extra responsibility. Each master’s program has different rules regarding its student teachers; some programs even prohibit student teachers from working in AP classes.
Many current staff members worked as student teachers at TL before returning for full-time positions, exemplifying the lasting impact of Terra Linda High School’s community.
English 9 and AP Psych teacher Mrs. Fry was a student teacher at TLHS during the 2021-2022 school year. While her experience was unusual because of the pandemic, she was still able to connect with other teachers. “Even during COVID, at lunch, the whole department would just sit out in this courtyard here and eat together,” Fry said. She worked at San Marin High School after student-teaching, but when a job opened at TL, she was eager to return. “I really just loved this department.”
Mr. Robins, Terra Linda AP U.S. History, World History, and AVID 12 teacher, was also a student teacher at TL. Like Fry, he went to work at another school, but always wanted to come back to TL for a full-time position. “I loved the community. It reminded me a lot of the high school I went to,” Robins said. “I also liked the teachers that were here at the time. [They] were excellent, helpful.”
Mr. Gabbard, TL alum and current student teacher under Robins, shared how his experience as a student pushed him to return. “It’s such a good community… there’s a lot of different kinds of people here and I think that’s really special,” Gabbard said. As a student teacher, he has now been welcomed into the staff side of campus as well. “It’s really interesting to be on the other side, coming from a student to now being on staff.”
Another TLHS alum, Mr. Butero, current student teacher under Geometry and Algebra 2 teacher Dr. Foster, felt that his experience as a student made the transition into his new role easier. “It’s encouraging to know the community, know the school,” Butero said. “I can picture what it used to look like [when I went here].”
Also easing Butero’s transition to being a student teacher was the welcoming embrace of other TL staff members. He said, “Every teacher I come into contact with has been great and open if I have a question about anything. Especially the math department has been very inclusive.”
For both Gabbard and Butero, returning to TL as a full-time staff member is not a question of if, but when. “It might take a few years, but I’ll be back,” Gabbard said.
Current student teachers and full-time staff members at Terra Linda have returned to the school because of its togetherness. The strong staff community in particular leaves a lasting impression on prospective educators that encourages them to seek out full-time positions at Terra Linda.
