East Lansing Public Schools Growing Future Teachers Through Exploring Education Program

Gabrielle Pruitt rubs her bleary eyes and then yawns before lowering her head and scribbling another students’ grade into the teacher’s grade book.

“I think the hardest part of being a teacher is trying to read students’ handwriting,” said Pruitt, a junior at East Lansing High School. “It also takes a lot of work to make students understand because you’re dealing with a lot of different personalities and behaviors.”

Pruitt, 16, is one of 21 students enrolled in East Lansing High School’s Exploring Education program, an effort to encourage students to pursue teaching careers by exposing them to the experience.

In addition to serving unpaid internships as teaching assistants for different grades in the district, the East Lansing High School students learn how to develop curriculum and lesson plans for their assigned classrooms. They also help teach and grade assignments just like adult certified teachers do.

The class is based on the Future Proud Michigan Educator initiative and utilizes its curriculum as a basis for the class. The state program is designed to create home-grown teachers to address Michigan’s growing teacher shortage. ELPS officials have modified their program version so that it also focuses on increasing the number of Black students who pursue a teaching degree.

Like many schools across Michigan, ELPS has few teachers of color in their classrooms. For example,  only 12 of the district’s 300 teachers are Black, a number officials would like to see grow. This is the first year that the program is being offered in the district.

“To be honest, I didn’t even know what the class was about – I signed up for it because I liked the teacher (Sheri Seyka),” admits 16-year-old Rania Abdullahi. “But now I’m glad I took the class.”

Abdullahi’s first internship was a sophomore class, which she enjoyed. But her new-found passion wasn’t stoked until she began teaching at the elementary school level.

“That’s when I realized that I’m the oldest of six siblings, and I already know how to work with younger people,” Abdullahi said. “I realized I have a strong passion for it.”

In addition to enjoying the interaction with young children, Abdullahi, who is Black, said she also likes that there are many more Black students and teachers at the elementary level.

“It’s very diverse, unlike the high school which only has one Black teacher that I know of,” Abdullahi said. “[As a student] I’d love it if we had more Black teachers to talk to. They would motivate us to fight for our rights and I’d feel more welcome; like I belong.”

ELPS officials hope that by offering the class, not only will students pursue a teaching career, they’ll also decide to return to the district someday, said Seyka.

Seyka’s classroom lessons emphasize equity and diversity in nearly every aspect of teaching. For example, her students recently had to develop a policy that addresses what happens when a student turns an assignment in late. Students were asked to consider different factors, like economic challenges, that could contribute to a late assignment.

“What if a student turned an assignment in late because they didn’t have access to a  computer?” Seyka said.

Pruitt, who is Black, said it’s lessons like these that make her want to become an educator someday.

“It gives you a chance to see things from a teacher’s perspective,” Pruitt said. “Most students don’t know what teachers go through. They’re not appreciated enough.

“They go through so much. They have to deal a lot with student behaviors, teach, help students learn, give tests and assignments and grade for 300 students per day.”

It’s a daunting task, but Pruitt is undeterred. Becoming a teacher makes her feel like a pioneer-of-sorts, she said.

“I think Black people aren’t going into teaching because we’re under-represented,” Pruitt said. “But it’s only going to get better if someone is willing to take that first step; and yes, it’s going to be hard at first.

“But I think this class will make a difference someday. I can see myself coming back here to teach. I love the district. I’ve been here since kindergarten.”