This year’s Saturday Teacher’s Academy has just ended. Saturday Teacher’s Academy is a program where aspiring teachers experience what it would be like to be a teacher. Participants are placed into groups of 4, within the groups they are able to choose a teaching standard and then create a lesson. 

A student from Bullard High school, Xitlalic Villanueva- Cruz, was one of the participants this year, along with other students from different schools. Xitlalic’s group chose to do a lesson on recycling for 3rd through 4th graders. As a group, they spent hours working during and outside of  meetings. 

In past years, participants were able to teach students in person, but due to the pandemic this year was different. Instead everything was held over teams, where Xitalic and her group taught other participants as if they were students. Xitlalic’s group made their lesson digestible for all types of students and were sure to include games to help keep the people engaged. 

On competition day, judges would join TEAMS calls where the groups would present their lessons. After presenting the groups were asked to write reflections that would contribute to their final score. After all the presentations lessons were graded based on a rubric and participants had to wait a month to receive their scores. After the waiting period Xitlalic and her group were informed that they won first place in the  Fresno district as well as a state title. If not for the pandemic the group would have gone on to compete in nationals, but sadly that was not possible this year. 

This program teaches students a lot and could be especially useful if you have interest in becoming a teacher. If Saturday’s teacher’s academy sounds like something you might want to participate in a link with more information will be attached.

https://hr.fresnounified.org/teacher-pipeline-programs/teacher-academy/