The tall cat in his stripped hat made a welcomed appearance at Iduma Elementary School Friday wrapping a week of Read Across America with future teachers sharing lessons with young students from a timeless author.
Killeen ISD Career Center education program students, all interns in district schools, read from a Seuss book and directed discussion and activities promoting literacy and confidence and acceptance of others.
Across KISD all this week, guest readers have joined classes and families have participated in visitation nights, marking the start of spring, the coming of state assessments, the week before spring break and the birthday of the late Dr. Seuss.
Career Center teacher Tina Tamplen has been taking her students to elementary schools since 2007 when she led a precursor to the current program at Shoemaker High School.
On Friday, 14 of her juniors and seniors dressed as the Cat in the Hat, as Things or in other Seuss clothing to teach lessons they designed.
Students drew, colored and made kindness chains of construction paper with positive messages to keep in their classrooms.
“We are reading books and doing fun activities,” said Donovin Parker, a junior. “Each grade level gets a different activity. The books teach lessons. The Sneetches taught that we are all unique and special.”
“The benefit for us is we are in the teacher program. This is great experience for us.”
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to talk to youth and give back to my community,” said Aaliyah Martinez-Jones, a senior.
“The goal is to get kids excited about reading and to know that literature is important,” she said.
“My biggest goal is to help others and teachers are at the foundation. We get to teach doctors, scientists, everything, so this is the foundation.”
“Today is in honor of Dr. Seuss. We are dressed up and reading Dr. Seuss and encouraging literacy and reading and connecting that to real life,” said Madelyn Harvey, a senior.
“It’s a good lesson. We’ve had to change lessons, so there is problem solving involved. Overall, for future teachers this is really good practice,” she said of the education program.
“If that is something you want to do, you learn the ups and downs of classroom management.”
Photo Gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720332414464