UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 6, Page 1                                
October 8, 1992                                                
Teacher Corps gives students actual classroom experience       
                                                               
     Imagine being a semester away from graduation and realizing you 
and your major are not compatible. That probably won't happen to     
education majors who participate in the Delaware Teacher Corps, which
places students into non-profit community centers and public and     
private schools as early as their freshman year.                     
     Conducted by Sylvia Brooks, coordinator in the elementary teacher        
education program, the corps allows participants to know quickly in  
their college careers if teaching is the best choice for them.       
     Barbara Van Dornick, the director of Student Services and Teacher        
Recruitment in the College of Education, said, "We encourage students
to volunteer in the schools as early as possible so they get exposure
to children. The Delaware Teacher Corps is an excellent way for      
undergraduates to get that experience."                              
     Students may elect to participate in the program for up to three
credits each semester. Spending 30 flexible hours per credit at their
assigned placement, the future teachers help children with their     
assignments, read stories to them and grade papers.                  
     Laurie Kinas, an early childhood junior, especially enjoyed the    
education practicum the first time she did it during Winter Session, 
and is back for another semester. "Spending time in the classroom has
taught me things I would have never learned in a course. I now know  
how to handle things like behavioral problems and parental           
confrontations in ways I never would have thought of before," she    
said.                                                                
     In addition to the class time, course requirements include      
attending monthly discussions, keeping a daily journal and writing a 
personal experience paper.                                           
     While most students have some interest in the field of education,        
any student may enroll in the pass/fail elective.                    
     Brooks said she tries to work with students as much as possible 
to ensure they are happy with their assignments. She allows teacher  
corps participants to decide whether they prefer to be in an         
elementary, middle, nursery or specialized school. Other options     
include religious-affiliated sites, community centers, after-school  
programs and Latin American schools.                                 
     "Our main objective is to reach out and help the communities,"     
Brooks said. "Right now, we especially need assistance in many       
Wilmington schools and evenings at a Newark church." For those without        
transportation, placements are available within walking distance to  
campus.                                                              
     Conveniently close, West Park Elementary has one third of the 15
students in the program dispersed throughout its classrooms. Principal        
David McCarthy, who works around the University students' schedules  
and grade-level preferences, said he is grateful for the assistance, 
but no one appreciates the extra help more than the teachers.        
     "The amount of extra time I save when I have help in the class is        
unbelievable. Just having my papers graded saves hours alone," said  
Ernie Ferraro, a third grade West Park teacher.                      
     Nancy Gross, a sophomore elementary education major, summed up  
the feelings of several University participants: "Having us (students)        
in the classroom is great for everyone. We get experience; the kids  
get extra attention; and the teachers get helpers."                  
     For more information, call Brooks at 831-1641.            
                                        -Mindy Maslynsky