Hidalgo ISD’s Early College High School provides students with a learning environment to acquire hands-on experience to prepare them for their future careers. As a result, Hidalgo Early College High School has implemented a Practicum in Education course to assist students in their pursuit of an education career. “The program will greatly benefit the students since they are pursuing a career in education,” said sponsor and educator of the Practicum in Education course, Francisco Alday. “I am glad the students have this opportunity since the program was halted by the pandemic, I truly believe they will benefit from this class and will become excellent educators.”
The Practicum in Education course assists students with teaching experience within a classroom setting. It builds bridges between the classroom and the practice environment they will soon enter. There are currently 17 enthusiastic students, both seniors and juniors, who are eager to learn more about the rigid structure of the course. By partaking in this practicum, students will gain real-life experience, obtain the necessary knowledge, and determine if this career path is right for them. “This program has been extremely helpful for me because I would like to be a coach in the future,” stated senior, Damian Carbajal. “It has been a fun learning experience and it has taught me patience, how to care and assist the students.”
Students are expected to co-teach under the direction of a mentor. The students need to design a lesson and utilize classroom techniques. During the first six weeks, Alday’s practicum class practiced working with Texas Essential knowledge and skills (TEKS), and prepared lesson plans that turned into mini lessons. Second six weeks, students were given the opportunity to get some hands-on experience withing a classroom setting. It has allowed students to get acquainted with teaching strategies and styles. “I have learned so much since being in the classroom with the students,” said senior, Larissa de Hoyos. “It's given me an opportunity to explore different areas of teaching by assisting the teachers with the students, and it has helped me polish up on my Spanish since it’s a bilingual class.”
The Practicum of Education course has given the Hidalgo Early College High School students the experience that is necessary before going into the educational profession. It's laid out the foundation for them to build from and continue to develop new skills. “This course has given me an idea of what my teaching career may look like in the future,” stated Junior, Alondra Vega. “This has been an amazing experience because we’ve been able to support the students and teachers, while preparing for our future careers.”
