COLUMBUS, Ohio – Teaching through a year of COVID-19 was tough, especially for first year teachers, but getting in on their own summer school experience helped move them forward.
For six weeks, Columbus City Schools hosted a summer experience where students got to research, create and collaborate in areas of interest. While they received plenty of hands of experience, teachers like Devante Jackson, who missed a lot of the face to face time, did as well.
Jackson graduated from college a little over a year ago. Little did he know that after he was hired by the school district, his teaching experience in the classroom would be limited. While he made it through the school year, teaching during the summer to gain more experience became really important.
Presented with the chance to teach the Fashion in STEM experience, Jackson took it on, explaining that, “This is a breath of fresh air in my opinion. It’s a nice way to do the summer.” He also said it was a way for him to take something new and connect it with his math skills.
Making models for the students first to help guide and inspire them in their own group projects, Jackson tapped into his own creative side. Along the way, he said he’s realized a few things.
“Sometimes I’m not always right and sometimes it’s OK to sit back and listen to the kids and take some ideas from them. Due to the fact that the kids are showing up to learn math in the summer and they’re doing it in a project based way, it just made me want to open up and really open up my eyes to the idea that kids can be right, too,” he said.
He also said he learned just how passionate he is about education.
While it was an experience for students to design T-shirts with a message and pitch their ideas to local retailer, Homage, Jackson’s just glad he had his own experience to build his teaching skills. He starts his second year of teaching in just over a month.
