“A student is not a container you have to fill up, but a torch you have to light up.” This quote by Albert Einstein is just one of the multiple educational quotes that hang on one of the three billboards set up by the Tomorrow’s Teachers class.

Introduced this year, with teacher Pam Burke at the helm, Tomorrow’s Teachers is giving a group of 15 seniors the chance to explore the idea of becoming a schoolteacher. As students were planning out their senior year schedules, Principal Glenn Cesa and one of the guidance counselors met with the then-juniors to inform them about the new class and let them know that if they decided to participate in this class, they would receive college credit.

For the first half of the year, the students are taught the curriculum of understanding each other, which would in turn help them understand how a young child thinks. For the second half of the year, each student will be assigned to the level of their choosing: elementary, middle or high school, and actually get the opportunity to student teach for a week or two.

The class usually begins with a presentation. One of the students presents either an educational quote or an educational news article. Normally these presentations spark many discussions about education, the way the school is run and the way students and teachers think and act together.

“Normally these discussions get heated,” Mrs. Burke claims, “and they can even lead to controlled chaos.” Take it from a firsthand account that these many discussions may even take up half to even the full class period. “But, that’s what teaching is all about,” she says; “getting the students involved and very vocal on their ideas and opinions.”

Then, based on the curriculum set up, the students begin many different activities, once even making their own puppets and performing a puppet show. With these many activities and discussions, the students get to know more about each other.

While none of the students in the class are completely committed to teaching as a career, they are definitely interested in exploring the possibility.  Senior Casie Milmoe is even considering becoming a guidance counselor or the school therapist.

“The main question is,” asks Senior Amanda Massaker “is this an option for what I want to do in my life?”

This seniors-only class is currently being expanded to become a school club where students of all grades are allowed to join in and get a feeling for what Tomorrow’s Teachers is like, and some may even consider taking the class next year.

Mrs. Burke encourages those students who may have questions about the after school club or the class to speak directly to her.