The teachings of teaching

different experiences that will help prepare them for the future. Aside from the work experience they get in the classroom, students also get to understand the workings behind being an educator and the challenges that come with it.

Aunique program at Mililani High School is sending students back to the classroom, but as a different kind of participant. The Teaching as a Profession and Foundations of Education courses at MHS give students the opportunity to visit classes at Waena Elementary, Rainbow Preschool, and various classes at Mililani High School to take part in hands-on experiences working with students of various grade levels. Started in the second semester, students go once a week to learn about teaching, the workings behind the classroom, and to experience teaching as a career in the future.

“I wish I had this experience… being able to observe as a high school student, I might’ve changed my decision; instead of going into high school, I might’ve gone into elementary or I might’ve gone into something else like counseling. Being able to see the different positions and opportunities within the education curriculum, I think is valuable so that you know what you want,” said Education Pathway teacher Marcie Sado.

This opportunity has been available for students in past years, but this year is the first year that it has expanded to both preschool and other high school classes. At the school, they are placed in an elementary class and work as assistants to the respective teachers. They watch what the teachers do, and sometimes work with the students themselves at the teacher’s request. Some just shadow the teacher and help with assistant tasks, while others have more hands-on experience, like reading stories and helping students with math problems.

“I think going to Waena is a really, really good opportunity… you get to really see what it’s like, you get to be in the classroom, you get to be present in a real classroom, and I think that’s so much more beneficial than reading something or watching a video because you don’t get the same experience… it’s really just a great experience that I don’t think a lot of other education programs may have,” said junior Tiffany Horimoto.

Along with the positive learning experience, students also get to learn about the challenges that come with teaching. Students got to learn about student discipline and how to engage their students to keep them motivated. On top of that, they also keep the classroom environment safe and maintain an open mindset. Learning about the challenges in the classroom was not the only obstacle the students had to face. Many students felt as if they were in an unfamiliar place, and had to adjust to feeling more comfortable in the classroom.

“Teaching isn’t a very high paid profession, and it’s not a very popular profession, they’re very understaffed when it comes to teachers, and I’m just really grateful that they’re willing to take us students with open arms, and be honest with us when it comes to the world of teaching,” said Horimoto.

The event is important in that it allows students to have many

“Having opportunities like going to Waena, and getting this hands-on experience, I think it’s really special because now I’m just more prepared for what I’m gonna do in the future, and I think it gives me a good idea of what this career will be like,” said Horimoto. “I’m really grateful I have been in the classroom and I have been able to realize that I do want to do this.”

The teacher shortage in Hawaii rose to new highs during the Covid-19 pandemic. With this experience and other opportunities planned for the near future, Sado and fellow teacher Katie Ling hope to expand the Education Pathway course and influence others to pursue teaching, or other education based careers, later in life. Plans to expand the reach of the Education Pathway and create opportunities for the students in the program are currently in the works.

“We need more teachers, because we want teachers to come back. We’re lacking teachers, and even in substitutes and all areas, so for them to come back to teach, and that’s what we want, we want them, the MHS students, to come back to Hawaii, hopefully to Oahu, and come back to teach, even at our school,” said Sado.

For more information about the education pathway classes or the event in general, Sado can be contacted at Marcie.Waki@k12.hi.us or at N103?, and Ling can be reached at Shiuyee.Ling@k12.hi.us.