LC Teach helps professionals move to head of the class
By Christa Desrets
cdesrets@newsadvance.com
News and Advance, Lynchburg, VA
Friday, July 27, 2007
Associate pastor at Fairview Christian Church for nearly five years, Bell, an accomplished singer, also constantly busied himself with opera and choral programs in the Lynchburg area. So it was an easy decision to work in place of the Appomattox County High School band director while she took six weeks of maternity leave last spring.
“I had no intention of going into education,” he said. “But I really enjoyed myself.”
He’s been with the school system ever since. Bell is one of 39 people who completed a Lynchburg College program Friday that will help them switch from a former career to one in teaching. Now in its fifth year at the school, LC Teach is an intensive, six-week alternative teacher licensure program for professionals that already have a degree in another field, said Jan Stennette, dean of the school of education. Many students in the program already have provisional licenses and need to meet state competencies to continue teaching.
“These are people who have been doing something in other fields and decide that they want to become teachers,” Stennette said. “Most of them have families too, so this is how committed they are to education.”
Bell is the perfect example. After his first six weeks with Appomattox Schools, he was asked to apply for an opening position as choir director in the middle and high school.
“My wife has told me from the beginning that I need to teach,” he said. “She made it happen.”
Starting next month, he’ll teach choir and also be the assistant band director and drama teacher at the schools.
“All three of those totally go along with my performing life,” said Bell, who is 30. “It’s not a total stretch for me.”
For him, LC Teach was a way to prepare for his transition into school life.
“The program is extremely intense,” he said, equating the experience to cramming the last two years of college into six weeks. “It has been strenuous.”
Halina Geier, 56, decided to enroll after spending 20 years as a nurse. She now wants to go into elementary education, particularly for students who speak English as a second language. Geier, whose first language is Ukrainian, feels that she can relate to those students. Labeled a “professional student” by her children because of her constant pursuits into higher education, Geier also feels she could relate to her students because she, too, often is on the receiving end of education. Her first degree was in computer technology, then she got a degree in nursing, followed by a master’s degree in the same subject. Friday, she completed LC Teach, which satisfies the professional preparation course requirements for teaching in primary and secondary schools.
“To me, you never stop learning. Life is a learning experience,” she said. “Teaching is sort of in my blood, and I just wanted to expand my horizons.”
Mariela Boyers, 28, started working as a teacher’s assistant in Lynchburg City schools about a year ago. Originally from Ecuador, she studied tourism in college and moved to the area five years ago.
“I decided - why not take that step and try to become a teacher and teach Spanish,” she said. “For me it was difficult because it’s my first experience in American college. So it was kind of scary in the beginning, but I think I did well.”
She and Bell both are looking forward to starting their new lives as teachers.
“I can’t wait to hear how the students (voices) sound and see where we can go from there,” Bell said. “I love watching the light bulb go off. It’s truly something that’s in my heart.”
