At a conference in Phoenix, Arizona, ConVal’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructor Sarah Grossi recently presented on strategies to fill the educator shortage gap and increase the educator workforce by building A Grow Your Own (GYO) program that prepares youths who already have a strong connection to the school and community.
Grossi’s workshop laid out the various ways that Teacher Preparation and Early Childhood Education instructors can place their students into early childhood, elementary, and middle school classrooms for hands-on training. Participants explored ways to embed practicum experiences in classrooms at a variety of ages and grade levels and with specialists such as speech therapists, occupational therapists, and family consumer science, art, music, and physical education teachers. Attendees also learned about the effectiveness of paired placements and discussed ways for students to collaborate with cooperating teachers to create, implement, and reflect on lessons.