At CHS, there are many types of internships, work studies, and vocational programs that are offered to students. These opportunities allow students to experience real-world jobs and workplaces. One of these programs that is offered is the cadet teaching program. Cadet teaching is a course that allows students to be like an assistant teacher at the Duneland elementary and intermediate schools.
On both maroon and gold days, cadet teachers report to their school first thing in the morning. The teacher that the students cadet for can utilize them in any way they need. Teachers typically have their cadet help lead morning activities, make copies, and do other work that saves their teacher time. As a cadet becomes more a part of the classroom and comfortable with the kids, they might gain more responsibility. Chesterton Senior Sophia Eaton is a cadet teacher at Brummitt Elementary School and goes to three different classrooms. She was able to provide some first-hand insight into the responsibilities and relationships with her students.
“I have become closer with them [the kids] but now that I have, I definitely let them get away with less which gives an added layer of responsibility over them. I like it but it can be stressful at times whenever they ask me for stuff and I don’t know if they’re allowed to or not,” Eaton said.
This program allows the cadet to become immersed in the educational world. By being in a classroom as an aid, the cadet experiences firsthand the actual duties and responsibilities of a teacher which gives the cadet a better understanding of whether the education field is a right fit for them. Being in the classroom also helps the cadet to build interpersonal relationships with their students and teachers. Regardless of whether the cadet chooses education as a profession, this experience teaches them about professionalism in the workplace.
“It’s taught me how to speak with adults more, which is something that I used to struggle with. I think that I can talk with people more and overall my people and social skills have improved,” Eaton told me.
Though cadet teachers work with the students, they also work alongside their teachers and other adults. There is a specific decorum one must retain as they interact and work with them. It isn’t always easy to work with so many people and being a cadet teacher definitely gives one the opportunity to learn to cope with different people.
Cadet not only teaches one about professionalism but also helps build leadership skills. Having authority over the students comes with its own set of responsibilities. Through being in the program, the cadet will learn how to navigate the issues and mishaps that teachers deal with. Young kids can be quite unpredictable and there is always something new to learn about them every day.
It’s easy to think that teaching young kids would be a simple babysitting job. However, cadet teachers experience firsthand that it is anything but. The program gives students an opportunity to feel out of the waters of teaching and the responsibilities of being a teacher. Even if they decide that it might not be for them, the cadet program can be beneficial to all students because the experiences and lessons that one learns are valuable and applicable to any workplace.
