by Steve Phan, staff writer and photographer
Most students have had a class taught by a student teacher but few realize how much the student teacher academy at Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) has impacted their lives.
Starting in the 1980’s after FVHS had settled down from its grand opening, student teachers poured in to learn how to teach. To handle this situation, history teacher, John Bovberg, volunteered to become a student teacher coordinator and set the foundations for what he called the Student Teacher Academy. As the student teacher coordinator, Bovberg dramatically increased the environment for the student teacher population.
“Over the years, [the student teacher coordinator] evolved where the assistant principal of curriculum is now that coordinator, except at Fountain Valley High School,” said Assistant Principal of Curriculum, Eva White.
When schools were encouraged to merge the student teacher coordinator position with that of the assistant principal of curriculum, FVHS did not have to do so because Bovberg had connections with many colleges and FVHS had around 12 student teachers compared to other schools where they only had two.
“A lot of schools don’t really care about their student teachers but [Bovberg] wanted several them all together and formed sort of a cohort so he could check on them and stuff like that,” said English teacher and current student teacher coordinator, David Theriault.
Bovberg passed away in 2013, but not without setting the tradition and legacy for the Student Teacher Academy and being an inspiration to the aspiring teachers.
Fountain Valley currently hosts eight student teachers this semester with Theriault holding the position of student teacher coordinator. He serves as a liaison between the student teachers, the master teachers, district and school. When problems arise, he organizes a discussion so that the issues can be worked out with a third person.
At the Student Teacher Academy, a student teacher’s daily life consists of examining what the normal teacher does, reviewing methods of teaching with the normal teacher, and reviewing his or her teaching material with the professor of the class, or the master teacher. For students from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), the student teachers are required to observe the normal teacher for one semester and then teach for the next semester.
“I graduated high school from Edison… I learned that I was supposed to hate this school but then I met the kids and found out it may be better than Edison,” said Ryan Haley, a student teacher from CSUF.
Student teachers like Haley also learn from many sources that FVHS’ Student Teacher Academy is great compared to the student teaching programs at other schools.
“[By] talking to people in Fullerton in my class, who went to lesser high schools, high schools that don’t have the the student teacher program that Fountain Valley has, I learned that Fountain Valley was a great place for student teaching,” said Haley.
In addition to primarily teaching future teachers, the Student Teacher Academy has perks for FVHS. Schools like University of California, Irvine, CSUF and Chapman University consistently recommend student teachers to FVHS’ Student Teacher Academy which means that FVHS gets a first pick at teachers with great potential when the student teachers graduate.
“Having a little bit more student teachers than other schools allows us to pick from the very best. Instead of just knowing somebody from an interview, you get to see them. It’s basically a semester long interview,” said Theriault.
Many of the former student teachers from the Student Teacher Academy, like English teacher, Sara LaFramboise, and biology teacher, Emily Barro, returned to FVHS to teach because of the great environment and student teaching program.
“In just under a year, it’s gone from, for me, a place to learn to absolutely a dream school. I would definitely want to come back,” said Haley.
Another aspect of student teaching is that it reminds normal teachers of what they can improve upon. Normal teachers can learn from student teachers on new ways to teach and can refresh on the fundamentals of teaching.
“When I have to tell Mr. Haley what to do in response to things, it reminds me of the best practices in my own teaching… Plus, the student teachers are bringing in new ideas so you steal those ideas,” said Theriault.
While there are many positive aspects of the student teaching program at FVHS, some are concerned if a student’s learning is affected by an inexperienced student teacher. Fountain Valley High School counters this by having a rule that states that a particular student teacher cannot teach a particular class for more than one semester. This way, normal teachers will be able to teach one semester for the particular class and are able to maintain a high standard. There have been accounts of discipline enforced when student teachers have not been up to standards.
“We’ve invited student teachers before to leave who haven’t finished the semester to make sure that student learning isn’t being hurt,” said Theriault.
Also, student teacher’s schedules are matched with the normal teacher’s schedule and are reviewed by the master teacher. The student teacher takes in criticism to improve on a daily basis.
When Bovberg volunteered to become student teacher coordinator for Fountain Valley High School, he had somehow seen potential in the young student teachers. At the end of the day, the struggles that student teachers struggled through in Bovberg’s days are universal until now. However, student teachers still push through all of the obstacles to succeed in becoming a great teacher and high school students could help them achieve that by not giving student teachers a hard time.
“Be kind to your student teachers. It’s hard. They’re trying so if they mess up once in awhile, just give them the benefit of the doubt and help them become the great teacher they one day will become,” said Haley.
