Urban Education: Student Teaching in Chicago testimonials
The Chicago Urban Education Program was the best student teaching experience; I was as prepared as I could be for my first year of teaching because of the length of the student teaching program, the support I had throughout the experience from both of my supervisors and my host teacher, and from the camaraderie of living with the other student teachers who were going through the same type of experience I was going through. I have now been teaching for a full seven years in the Chicago Public School system and have had two student teachers from a non-Urban Education school, and have a new appreciation for the program. I would recommend every teacher to go through this program – you will build life-long friendships and great colleagues and contacts. The Urban Education Program opened up a lot of opportunities here in Chicago for me, and was one of the best decisions I made for my career.
—Janna Nobleza, Urban Education, Spring 2004, English teacher at Prosser Career Academy
My time with the ACM Urban Ed program changed my life. I was your typical suburban girl that only thought I wanted to teach in a upper-class white community suburban district. After being with my students for 15 minutes on the first day of school, I knew my life had changed forever. Having the experiences that Urban Ed offered me opened my eyes to the "bigger picture" of education, and what I had to offer. Not only did my cooperating teacher coach me to be the best that I could be, she also ended up being one of my best friends, and I teach with her now. I also have made lifelong friends with the other students that were in the Urban Ed program with me, and keep in close contact with our advisors. Thank you Urban Education for changing my life!
—Katie Hopkins, Chicago Urban Education, Fall 2005, Preschool teacher at Peirce School of International Studies
I am glad that I did the ACM Urban Education Program, because it helped to prepare me for teaching in an urban school. I know that after I did my student teaching in Chicago, I was ready to teach anywhere, but it would have been a very difficult transition for me to go from doing my student teaching in a small town to teaching in Chicago. I was placed in a progressive, bilingual school for my student teaching, where I am still teaching today. I was well-supported by the Urban Ed staff throughout my student teaching, with frequent observations and feedback, opportunities to problem solve with other student teachers and my supervisor, and seminars/workshops with experts in the field. I am still in contact with a number of Urban Ed alums (both personally and professionally), many of whom didn't student teach at the same time as me.
—Becky Provencher, Urban Education, Spring 2004, Kindergarten teacher at Telpochcalli Elementary School