Student Teachers at WHS

Each year, thousands of student teachers enter classrooms across the country. 4 of them happened to have landed here at Waukee High School! They come not as fully licensed teachers but as students, to have an experience that not only shapes the future of their careers, but also the lives of students. Each day they work through how to balance their roles as both a learner and a leader in hopes to educate young minds in their own classroom someday.

Let me introduce you to the 4 teachers we have here. Mrs. Scandiffio teaches 3 English classes, including publications, mass media, and AP language and composition. Mrs. Scandiffio works with Mrs. Hogan and teaches 10th through 12th graders. Mr. Williams teaches biology with Mrs. Nichols and Mrs. Farver teaches Social studies with Mrs. Joslin. Mr. Elbert teaches chemistry and assists with astronomy in Mrs. Swim’s class. 

Student teaching is such a fun opportunity for aspiring teachers. It allows them to experience the classroom environment in the position of a teacher rather than a student. But as they are teaching, they are also learning themselves. Mr. Elbert said, “My favorite parts of student teaching is the opportunity to build relationships with students and when I get to see students figuring out concepts they struggle with!” I also talked with Ms. Scandiffio and she said by far her favorite part is “building relationships with my students. Secondary teachers love their content as I do as well, but it’s the relationships you build with students that truly matter and make the most impact.” 

Being a student teacher is preparing them for their future careers. Ms. Scandiffio said, “As of right now my goals for my teaching career are to pursue teaching full-time. I recently got hired within the Ankeny Community School District to teach 9th grade English at Ankeny Southview Middle School,” and working as a student teacher now is helping her achieve this! But what inspired this? I asked Mr. Elbert what made him want to be a teacher and he responded with, “My teachers when I was growing up were always incredibly supportive and encouraging, so I want to be able to help students in that same way. I explored multiple career paths before this, but none of them quite compared to the enjoyment I’ve gotten from helping others as a teacher.”

These student teachers are already making a difference, and their time at Waukee High School is helping them grow into confident, capable educators. From building connections with students to discovering the joy of helping others learn, they’re gaining the skills and experiences that will shape their teaching careers. As they prepare to lead classrooms of their own someday, we’re lucky to have them here learning, growing, and inspiring—one day at a time.

Graphic by Sydney Butler using Canva