BY VICTORIA WILKINSON
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Roseville High School introduced a new class last year called Recreational Admin where RHS students have the opportunity to teach Spanger Elementary School PE classes. PE teacher Melissa Stevens and PE/Rec Admin teacher Emily Dodds approached Spanger Elementary School’s principal Joshua Joseph in fall 2014 about collaborating for this program.
“The program is amazing,” Joseph said. “We love being able to partner with our senior high school and just being down the street, it’s a great community.”
Last year, Dodds observed the PE leadership class at Woodcreek High School in order to create a similar curriculum at RHS. Dodds had a big interest and wanted to have success with the class at RHS.
“I am hoping to build off of that momentum to allow Rec Admin to thrive and eventually have the ability to reach out to more surrounding elementary schools,” Dodds said.
The class spends the first term creating a list of games to play with the kids and basically learn how to teach. In the second term, the students go to Spanger during second period four days a week and teach PE classes in groups.
“It all pays off in the second term when students spend four days a week at Spanger in their co-op teaching groups,” Dodds said. “Besides seeing the elementary school kids flourish in their abilities, I enjoy watching our high school students take on leadership roles and grow in ways they don’t even realize.”
Dodds favorite outcome of this class was when RHS alumnus Ben Judd approached her at a football game and conveyed to her he will be pursuing teaching at an elementary level because of taking the class. Dodds hopes the class will inspire other students like it did Judd.
“Hopefully more students are able to find a passion for teaching, mentoring and/or working with our youth through Rec Admin,” Dodds said.
Rec Admin student Corey Carstens took the class as an opportunity to acquire some new skills for his future.
“I wanted to take it not only for me to teach kids [but to] learn how to work with the next generation,” Carstens said.
The relationship between Spanger students and the RHS student teachers has grown since they first began teaching.
“I think it gives [Spanger students] great role models to look up to and it also gives them an opportunity to learn how to interact with other adults outside of our school,” Joseph said.
According to Rec Admin student Delyndon Rhodes, the kids were tough to teach at first because of of a lack of cooperation, but as time went on the kids warmed up to their new teachers.
“The kids all love us, we all get along, sometimes they have a little attitude,” Rhodes said.
According to Carstens, one elementary student even knows him on a first name basis and seeks him out during class to say hello every day.
Carstens as well as others enjoy switching the roles and them being the teachers for once.
“I get to go out there and kind of be the teacher, you know, instead of getting taught all day I get to teach someone,” Carstens said.
Rhodes signed up for the class because it was recommended to him by seniors last year and enjoys teaching kids specific activities.
“I think it’s cool being able to teach kids how to play certain games especially for me since I’m a basketball player, I like teaching them basketball,” Rhodes said.