Celeste Barbosa – Class of 2019 – Teacher Development Academy
This is the second installment of our Student Spotlight series. Over the next few months we will introduce you to one student from each of Atlantis’s five Career Academies. This month we are featuring a student from the Teacher Development Academy.
Celeste Barbosa is a senior from Fall River. She has attended Atlantis since 5th grade. She hopes to one day become a teacher.
Q: Tell us a little about your career goals.
A: I would like to teach high school English, I think I would prefer freshmen or sophomores, but I also want to get my PhD and possibly teach in college. I hope to inspire children.
Q: You’re currently taking part in your senior internship at Atlantis’s Lower School. Can you tell us what it has been like, both challenges and rewarding moments?
A: I’m teaching 6th grade social studies. So far it has been pretty interesting. I’ve learned a lot about how to control classroom behavior and grab the students’ attention. Behavior has been one of the biggest challenges given the kids are so young. Trying to make them be quiet, get them to pay attention, and do their work while they’re with their friends is difficult at times, but actually seeing the kids grasp the material, understand it and actually enjoy learning is so rewarding. That’s what I really like the most.
Q: What are your plans for college?
A: I am going to attend Bridgewater State University and plan on double majoring in English and education. I also plan on enrolling in the Four Plus One Plan so that I can earn my master’s degree in five years instead of six.
Q: You and your classmates recently took part in the Future Educator Conference at Bridgewater State University, what was that experience like?
A: It was really insightful, and it helped me get a better understanding of how to become a good teacher and the different techniques you have to use as an educator. For example, we met one teacher who used different methods like songs and interactive approaches to teach his lessons. We also met two teachers who had won teacher of the year. Their approach was to use hands-on materials and make lessons very relatable to the students.
Q: What do you like about the Teacher Development Academy?
A: I like how we are able to go into a classroom and get firsthand teaching experience as high school seniors, rather than being put into a classroom setting for the first time when we’re a junior in college. That’s probably my favorite part, and I feel like that’s the most beneficial.
We’ve covered a lot of the material that we’ll be studying in college in the Teacher Development Academy. We’ve done different hands-on activities, we created lesson plans, we’ve used the format wheel, we’ve talked about behavior and things like that. I think all of that knowledge will be an advantage when I’m in college.
About the Teacher Development Academy
The Teacher Development Academy leverages online videos and blended and active learning techniques to teach students difficult-to-learn concepts. It was developed in collaboration with coalition advisors from Teach for America, the UMass College of Education, the East Bay Educational Collaborative, the MIT BLOSSOMS Program, and Ergopedia Inc. Students learn how to create lesson plans and how to teach to multiple intelligences. The students have the opportunity to use what they learned by teaching in a real classroom during an internship at the Lower School in the spring semester of senior year.
TDA classes are taught by adjunct instructor Dr. Gail Berman-Martin. She has been a career specialist, counselor and educator for more than 30 years. She earned a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts Boston, a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling from Bridgewater State University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to joining Atlantis Charter School in January 2018, Dr. Berman-Martin served as the Director of the Career Development Center at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Throughout her career, she has counseled, coached and assisted thousands of students in pursuing and achieving their career goals.