Students gain valuable experience through Hillyard’s Pathways to Teaching program

By Jazmine Knight

St. Joseph students Lou Lengudi and Emily Dalrymple always knew they wanted to go into education. Now, through the Career Pathways to Teaching program, those dreams are becoming a reality sooner than they could ever imagine.

It all started four years ago when the St. Joseph School District decided to help grow their own students for the teaching profession. Henceforth, the career Pathways to Teaching professions courses were born, targeting juniors and seniors in high school.

The courses taught at Hillyard Technical Center are dual credit through Missouri Western State University. During the student’s junior year, they would take foundations of education and an observation course. Once senior year comes, each student can choose between two pathways. One allows students to spend four days in a classroom with a teacher of their choice. The other is a new program this year that hires 12 seniors to be paraprofessionals who then work in their designated school building five days a week.

Each student has to pass a paraprofessional test prior to being hired at level two by the district. Nine students started last May helping out with summer school. Not only is it a chance to earn dual credit, but students are also getting paid just as they would with a regular job.

“We have learned through the early college academy offerings that students want to take advantage of those classes and go to college with some of their credits already accomplished,” said Becky Jones, Career Pathways to Teaching instructor at Hillyard.

For Dalrymple, student paraprofessional at Carden Park Elementary, her passion for teaching began with her mom.

“Her first year teaching was actually pregnant with me. So I’ve literally been in the classroom my entire life,” Dalrymple said.

She can remember teaching her stuffed animals and loving her elementary school experience. Now that she’s older, she’s all about helping the kids, which is why she is so grateful for this program.

“It was way better than I expected. I love it. Every day I looked forward to going,” she said.

In terms of curriculum, Jones taught them disciplines such as classroom management, childhood traumas, different parts of the brain and how to manage things without escalating the younger students. Because of these principles, Dalrymple said it was easy to transition to the classroom.

“After learning the curriculum, I really learned about why kids behave the way they do,” said Dalrymple.

Lengudi, another student paraprofessional, said she lived and breathed this program.

“I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going to get to be in the classroom,’” Lengudi said.

Lengudi was particularly interested in speech language pathology, so Jones arranged for her to work with one. Now, Lengudi works at Edison Elementary, where she teaches students with special needs.

Between the dual credit, the experience and the pay, Lengudi was elated to start the program. Now, she manages high school, being a para, as well as another job. Throughout the journey, she’s relied on advice from other staff and her students to help her balance everything.

“It’s taught me how to be very adaptive,” she said “It’s not just about getting it all done. It’s about taking your time, being mindful of how you get it done.”

According to Jones, at Hillyard they know that students learn best by actually doing the job, which is why shadowing teachers and classrooms is so important.

“I’ve never been a kindergarten teacher,” said Jones. “And so if they want to be a kindergarten teacher. They really need that class time with an experienced kindergarten teacher who can show them these are the ways.”

Working with her current teacher, Dalrymple has learned a lot in terms of patience and what to do and what not to do.

Through these student-teacher relationships, Jones said students are more inclined to come back to SJSD and teach within the district. In turn, she hopes that can bring an even stronger sense of community.

“If I can have a high schooler who’s leaving and saying, ‘I’m coming back, I want to be here,’ then the community also sees that positivity,” she said.

As far as challenges, Dalrymple said she had to realize that every kid will be treated a little bit differently. For Lengudi, she wants others to understand that it’s so much more than just working with kids.

“Sometimes you’re working with your teachers, or some days you’re working in other classrooms more,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Dalrymple and Lengudi believe it’s all worth it when you’re able to change a child’s life around and help them to excel in school.

After speaking with two previous graduates of the program recently, Jones said both former students expressed that this program helped them get a jumpstart on their college education.

“I had one of my first graduates. She goes to school at Northwest and she is one of our Grow Your Own scholarship winners. So she’ll be back here to teach because of that scholarship,” said Jones.

Her other student, who now attends Missouri Western, said this program put her a whole year ahead of her peers when it came to education courses.

For Jones, her favorite part is hearing all the stories from her students and watching them blossom into selfless, amazing educators.

“Watching them talk very passionately about their students, like they claim them already. These are my kids. These are my students,” she said.

Both Dalrymple and Lengudi are very grateful for the program. Both believe it provides them with the necessary experience to succeed in college.

“(It) gives you a great head-start and kind of intro into what you’re going to be doing and what it’s really like,” said Dalrymple.

Lengudi hopes to make the program proud while setting an example for the students who come after her.

“It is kind of mind-blowing that I’m getting experience at this age that other people wouldn’t get for two or three more years,” said Lengudi.

For future students, both ladies encourage others to join the program as well.

“This does feel like a second home to me,” said Lengudi.

“If you have anything inside you that wants to be a teacher, join this program because it’s either going to show you that you really do want to be a teacher, or you really don’t,” said Dalrymple.