Some future teachers got some words of advice and encouragement from Pasadena ISD’s top administrator recently.

Students in Pasadena Memorial High School’s “Ready, Set, Teach” program visited with Superintendent Kirk Lewis during a visit and tour of the district’s Administration Building. The program, which is led by veteran teacher Ele Manry, is specifically designed for junior and senior high school students seeking careers in education.

Lewis shared with the students that it not only takes a capable teacher to educate a classroom, but one who is compassionate as well.

“You may know the subject or grade level you’ll eventually teach very well, but what sets a teacher apart from the rest is their heart for children,” he said. “If you truly have a heart for children and always let them know you care – your students will never forget it. If you always keep in mind the individual needs of each child, and always have that heart, you’ll guide them in the right direction toward a bright future.”

Memorial’s “Ready, Set, Teach” program has grown to almost 30 students, which is quite an increase from when it started in 2005. The students listening to Lewis’ words of wisdom filled the Superintendent’s conference room.

“It’s exciting to see so many of you that have an interest in teaching, and I hope to see all of you back in our classrooms in just a few short years – at the head of the class and teaching and making a difference in the lives of kids in our district,” Lewis said.

To participate in “Ready, Set, Teach,” students must receive a teacher, administrator or counselor’s recommendation and go through an interview process. The program serves as a field-based internship by allowing students to plan and direct individualized instruction and group activities prepare instructional materials and complete other responsibilities of classroom teachers within various schools throughout the district.

“Students have chosen this course because they believe they want to be teachers,” said Manry. “This program allows students to receive hands-on experience teaching in a classroom. It also provides them with the knowledge and resources they need to make those career choices.”

Several prerequisite courses during the sophomore year, including Preparation for Parenting and Child Development classes, are encouraged before entering the program. “These courses are a key for success in the program, because the students learn how to handle and make adult decisions,” Manry said.

Through an agreement with San Jacinto College, students are able to exchange Preparation for Parenting, Child Development, and Ready, Set, Teach I and II courses for college credit.

Manry said programs such as “Ready, Set, Teach,” allows opportunities for the district to “grow its own teachers.”

“Veteran teachers are able to pass on their successes through the experiences they provide the interns with,” she said. “The teachers of tomorrow bring with them a new outlook and vivacity that includes the years of experience of those before them.”