Jared Lombard was a little apprehensive about entering class - not at CMU but at Saginaw's Central Middle School.
Lombard, Davison freshman, was one of 87 CMU students enrolled in the education course ELE/SED 107 - Introduction to Teaching, who went to Saginaw Friday as part of the Urban Partnership between CMU and the Saginaw School District to observe and participate in an urban-classroom setting. Students separated into three groups to visit Saginaw elementary, middle and secondary schools.
"I was afraid of how they would perceive me coming in," Lombard said.
Lombard said he remembers watching one teacher trying to teach a mathematics concept and getting frustrated in the process, but Lombard said the experience showed him how to keep calm and get students engaged in learning.
"I didn't even think about teaching in a middle school until I went there," Lombard said.
Previous experience in an urban setting can help to alleviate some of the fears new teachers face, said Ron Schneider, assistant superintendent for the Saginaw school district.
Schneider said new teachers will have difficulties dealing with a more diverse classroom of students if they have never had any previous teaching experience in urban settings. Schneider said CMU students came up short with regard to urban experiences.
"We found that Central (students), by not having that experience, are at a disadvantage," Schneider said.
But Schneider is optimistic about the urban partnership between CMU and Saginaw schools.
"If they want to teach here, we want to have them," Schneider said. "Working together works."
Lucille Chaffer, principal of Houghton Elementary, said many college students have very limited experience in the inner city.
"I think that many of the students going (to CMU) are from rural areas," she said. "We are much more global."
Chaffer said she sees the benefits of the urban partnership as two-fold, enriching the education of CMU students and providing Saginaw schools with a larger pool of educators to draw from.
"I think it is a win-win situation for both (Saginaw) and the university," she said.
Monique Brideau, Grosse Pointe Woods freshman, said her experience at Houghton Elementary helped solidify her decision to pursue teaching.
"It gives you real-life experience to see if you really want to get into it," Brideau said.
The urban setting was new to Brideau, who attended a suburban school.
"It was different than I was used to, it was more diverse," Brideau said.
Mamie Thorns, assistant to the dean of the College Education and Human Services, said it is imperative that students have an opportunity to experience teaching in an urban setting since up to half of future teaching positions will be in urban environments.
"We have to do a better job of preparing our students for where the jobs are going to be," Thorns said.
Don Volz, instructor in the Teacher Education Development Program who went with students to Saginaw, said students did not know what to expect before they went, but now are excited about going back.
Volz said a March 20 trip is planned.