There are many classes that Carolina Forest High School offers students. One of those classes is Teacher Cadet (Education 101). This class is provided through the South Carolina Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement Center (CERRA) and Coastal Carolina University. This class is focused on students who are considering education/teaching as a career.
Teacher Cadets is for high-achieving juniors and seniors who gain leadership skills and life-enriching experiences while taking the semester class. Teacher Cadet has been around for 34 years and is serving many schools throughout the state of South Carolina. Upon completion of the program, all eligible students will receive a three-hour college credit along with high school credit, which is AP-weighted.
During the semester, students are heavily involved with an educational curriculum that encompasses hands-on activities, discussions, and projects that center on psychology and brain-based concepts. The students are also required to complete a three-week internship at one of our Carolina Forest cluster schools.
Veteran teacher Ann Twigg has taught this program for 15 of her 36 years.
“Teaching this class is so rewarding. We end up being a true school family because we share so much in discussions and group activities. Most of the students leave the class knowing their career choice as they begin their life journey in college,” shared Twigg.
Junior Jalee Cala decided to join the Teacher Cadet Program because she would like to be a teacher. She interned at Carolina Forest Elementary School, in Mrs.Volpe’s Child Development class.
“I loved this class and especially loved my internship. If you are looking to become a teacher, I would definitely recommend taking this course. If you are unsure but are interested in education, I recommend it! The internship will definitely help to form your thoughts on the career,” added Cala.
There are some students like senior Alexis McCann, who were unsure about taking the class. She had a friend who was taking it, and she decided why not take it with her. McCann was based at Ocean Bay Elementary in Ms. Panepinto’s second grade class.
McCann stated, “I enjoyed the program and the relationship that was built amongst the class was amazing. Along with the relationships I built in the class, I enjoyed having the ability to be in the internship and create relationships with younger students.. If you are even slightly interested in a career in the education field, take Teacher Cadet. It can definitely help you make your decision!”
If you are thinking of a career in education and are a rising junior or senior with a 3.0 GPA or higher, speak with your guidance counselor or Ms. Twigg in Tech 3 about this class! Applications for next year’s class will be available on February 1, 2024.
