GREAT FALLS — In the video below, Brianna Juneau reports on the CORE school in Great Falls at Morningside Elementary School (4119 Seventh Avenue North).
A new partnership between the University of Montana Western and Great Falls Public Schools is changing the way future teachers prepare for the classroom.
The CORE School program, designed to aid education students in college with hands-on, practical skills alongside their coursework. The initiative also aims to address the ongoing teacher shortage by rethinking how they prepare and learn.
“This teacher shortage just isn't a Great Falls issue. This is a nationwide issue,” explained Morningside Elementary Principal, Jennifer Martyn. “In the past couple of years, we've had to hire teachers that are doing their student teaching experience. They're getting thrown right in. We're not seeing a whole lot of success with that unfortunately. So through this program, they're getting three years. Day to day, really watch a teacher for a period of time, learn to build those relationships, to then become the instructor in the classroom.”
Morningside is the first school in the district to implement core school. Not only is the style of learning beneficial for education students, but for the elementary students as well.
“I just think everything is really successful because it's super flexible. It's a great program to help us all out.” Stated one of the students in the program.
The main goal is to help education students build confidence, adaptability, and classroom management skills before they graduate. Officials hope that the program will not only fill a critical teaching need but also encourage participants to stay in Montana after graduation.
The program could expand to other districts, offering a new blueprint for training the next generation of teachers.
