How Students Can Pursue Their Dream of Teaching Early

Liana Catton, Writer

Are you looking to major in Education? With SDLP (Self Directed Learning Program), upperclassmen can drop a class to pursue their dream of teaching early

Students can give up their Directed Study period to join other teachers to co-teach as only a junior or senior. The program is offered at Franklin High and it’s very easy to enroll. All you have to do is contact Ms. Judy O’Neill, who is the coordinator of the program, or just fill out the application found on our school’s website.

The program description states that in order for a student to remain in this program, they must be in good academic standing and obtain administrator acknowledgement that they have demonstrated commitment to responsible conduct.

FHS students like Brendan McWalter, now a senior, co-taught with math teachers, Mrs. Woelflein and Mrs. Everleigh last year for the Algebra 1 course. McWalter states Junior year was when he started to think about career opportunities for himself, and teaching was one of the careers he was interested in, so he wanted to experience it for himself seeing if he would enjoy it.

He explains he would possibly like to double major in Music Education and hopefully in Mathematics as well. So of course SDLP was a great opportunity for him to undertake, especially only as junior year.

Mrs. Everleigh, who had McWalter as her own student his freshman year, says she loved the idea of Brendan working with younger students and that although it may seem like a program that is initially only helping the student learn about a possible career path, it actually helped her and Mrs. Woelflein out immensely. Everleigh says it was convenient to have another person in the room, to circulate and answer questions. She said it basically made her class a 5:1 ratio of student to teacher, which was unbelievable.

McWalter explained he got to observe the different ways students learn and also get more practice with public speaking. The more he did it, the easier it was. He found that it also helped the students to know that they had someone in high school they could ask for help as well.

Teachers like Mrs. Woelflein and Mrs. Everleigh and of course, all FHS staff, encourage any upperclassmen looking to major in education to try this program, even if it’s just for the experience!