Who teaches future teachers? Teachers, of course!

Northstar recently hosted nine Randolph-Macon College students on campus. A mix of Exceptional Education majors, Elementary Ed majors, and General Education majors, they shadowed Northstar teachers during their January term, an abbreviated three-week course between RMC’s fall and spring semesters.

This special course is taught by Dr. Amber Peacock and aims to teach students how to develop and implement educationally useful IEPs (Individualized Education Plans). IEPs are legal documents that educators and parents use to make decisions about instructional goals, accommodations, and placements for students with disabilities.

“Northstar’s collaboration between students, teachers, and faculty creates a home-like environment. From the conversations between peers to the conversations in the classroom, it’s clear how Northstar cares for every student.”
-Blaine, RMC ’27

The course requires each student to complete several hours of fieldwork observing student engagement or behavior in a K-12 classroom setting. Over the three week time period, the undergrads sat in a variety of classrooms, from the Lower School to Specialized Reading to Career Center. Between chatting with host teachers and getting to know Northstar students, they took notes on how teachers used individualized strategies for supporting students.

“Northstar is the epitome of presuming competence for your students,” said RMC student Allie about her experience shadowing Health and P.E. class. “Everything is student-focused.”

The undergrads emphasized how their observations tied in to what they were learning back on their home campus, especially on creating an effective, inclusive classroom environment. “The fieldwork is directly applied to the class,” noted RMC student Addy, who shadowed an Upper School History classroom.

“This school has been one of the most inspiring and impactful placements I’ve had,” said Haley, who shadowed Career Center’s Business Technology class and aims to work in a career and technical education (CTE) program after graduation, “I’ve seen and heard so many different teaching strategies.”

This new partnership between Randolph-Macon and Northstar opens doors to possibly hosting future undergraduate interns or student teachers.