Ashley Jones, 7th Grade Language Arts Teacher
Benton Middle School has been fortunate enough to have two student teachers to start off the school year. A previous article highlighted the experience of Kristina Glackin in the eighth grade language arts classroom. The other student teacher, Meghan Brewster, has enjoyed her time in the seventh grade language arts classroom. When asked what her initial impressions were of Benton she responded, “It is a welcoming place where students and teachers can feel comfortable. Immediately, I knew that this would be a great place for me to learn how to be a teacher.” Meghan is already halfway through her eighth week placement at Benton.
During her placement, she will take full control of the classroom for a minimum of two weeks. This includes two blocks of language arts, a block of micro-course/study hall, as well as a half block of Reading/Math. As she takes full control of the classroom, she also completes additional classwork through her university. Despite the increased workload, she is focused on the end goal of becoming a certified teacher and helping students. Brewster stated, “I want to become a teacher to show students that they have someone that cares for them and is always there for them. I want to show students the importance of learning and that they can learn and grow like everyone else.” She is certainly setting an example for her students and ensuring her classroom is a place to belong.
As she completes the second part of her placement she states, “I hope to become more comfortable with teaching as well as learning more about what it is like to be a part of a community.” Meghan Brewster has been a phenomenal addition to the classroom and she has already embraced the Bobcat spirit during Homecoming week. “My favorite part is the connections that I have created with students! I love when they show off their cool artwork or tell me about their day!” Meghan’s humor and knowledge of the content have been useful tools when creating relationships with students and establishing her role as the lead teacher. Benton Community is grateful for both Kristina Glackin and Meghan Brewster’s hard work and dedication. They have truly impacted the students and staff in their short time here. We thank them and wish them the best of luck as they continue their journeys to becoming certified teachers!
Picture Caption: Meghan Brewster assists seventh grade students, Kael Northcutt and Leigha Mehlert, during fifth block work time.