I started this program two months after I graduated CSUCI and have been working non-stop since! This program is accelerated so there is a great deal of work, classes, and of course, student teaching. I am currently student teaching at Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento, California. I teach an Intermediate ELD course and a sophomore English course.
Many of my students come from poverty and struggle with gang issues, drugs, and family problems on a day-to-day basis. Working with at-risk students has been an amazing learning experience for me. I have gained new perspectives and learned to adapt my teaching to cater to a diverse range of student needs. The program has been phenomenal and I have really grown in my abilities to manage a classroom and challenge students with engaging, educational lessons.
I just signed a contract with the Woodland Joint Unified School District to teach at Douglass Middle School in Woodland, California for next year, which I am really excited about! I am graduating on June 11, 2008 with my single-subject credentials and will (hopefully) receive my master's degree in March 2009.
-Tamara Gershater
CSUCI Class of 2003