Instructional Practices in Education and Traning, also known as IPET, allows students to leave campus for two consecutive class periods to aid teachers in their classrooms.
IPET only accepts juniors and seniors and is split up into two groups, students who take the class their first year and students who took the class before and are in their second year. First-year students spend their Mondays and Tuesdays in class while they spend the rest of their time at their placement schools, while second year students spend only Mondays in class. Students still have time in class where they learn children’s developmental processes and how to properly teach them.
“It [IPET] is a two-period internship course where students go out to local elementary, middle schools and some students work here on the AHS campus in various classrooms,” IPET teacher JWade said.
At the beginning of the year, students submit a paper on their preferences including what grade level, subject and place they would like to teach.
“I go to Western Plateau Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,” first-year student Keira Fawley said. “I work with Kindergarteners and I help the teacher in any way that I can.”
The teachers, known as mentor teachers, instruct students on how to come into the profession, which can help those who have a future in education.
“I kind of wanted to go into teaching a passion of mine, which is art,” second-year student Jonas Ortiz said. “I began looking into student teaching for art and ended up here.”
IPET students go throughout the year with the same mentor teacher and kids.
“…You get to build relationships with your kids and get to help them learn and understand,” first-year student Miles Sanders said.
Mentor teachers guide IPET students through the process of becoming authority figures.
“We teach kiddos at our schools and we get to learn and grow with them,” first-year student Lexi Rodriguez said. “Just be leaders for our kids and encourage them to be the best they can be while still learning ourselves.”
While students gain knowledge from their mentor teachers and students at their placement schools.
“Teaching this class gives me the opportunity to help kids use their gifts and figure out what their strengths are while helping kids discover a love of education,” JWade said.
IPET students benefit from this class no matter what they plan to do with their future.
“It’s a good learning experience for all of us teenagers,” Rodriguez said.
