Many students have noticed some unfamiliar faces in their classes…these people are student teachers. Many of our own teachers are currently accompanied by interns working toward becoming teachers themselves. These internships provide those planning to go into education with hands-on experience as they observe and work with current teachers.

Cypress Lake High School has the honor of helping three education majors from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) earn the experience necessary to become a teacher. Mrs. Stutz is joined this year by Mr. Smith, a Block 4 intern from FGCU. As a former student of Mrs. Stutz himself, Mr. Smith said of Stutz, “She was one of the main driving points for me to become a teacher…Working alongside her has helped me a lot. She’s helped me with my lesson plans and shaped me into a better teacher.” Mrs. Camp is also accompanied by an intern this year. Ms. Gorrita Mas, a senior at FGCU, who Mrs. Camp says is “great at adapting and seems to really enjoy it here.” Our last intern can be found in Mrs. Henry’s room. Ms. Ucciferri is a senior studying at FGCU. “Whether it’s classroom management, teaching strategies, or learning new things about my students, I’m learning to grow in my career,” said Ms. Ucciferri. “Everything I have learned and will continue to learn during my time here at Cypress Lake will be valuable knowledge that I will carry with me onto my future career.”

These internships are important as they give education majors an opportunity to gain insight from those more experienced than them. Student teachers are observed by the teachers they shadow and given feedback, which helps shape them into the best teachers they can be. Mrs. Henry,  who has had a student teacher for 10 years in a row, said, “I love to see a student teacher grow in my classroom. It is so fun to watch my interns demonstrate their love of learning and passion for teaching. It makes me happy to know other students will be in safe hands.”