Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for The Hechinger Report, Devin Evans addresses the barriers to becoming a teacher and shares his experience with student-teaching and why he believes it is worth the cost.

· The author discusses the financial stress of being a student teacher. How can donors support them during their education?

· Read more about student teaching and passing on good teaching skills. 

I sat at my computer in the summer of 2013 pondering whether I’d be able to begin my student-teaching.

I wondered whether spending four years learning to teach was worth the time and money, and whether my dreams of leading a classroom would ever come to pass.

I wondered if I should wait to apply for a fast-track program after graduating, or if I should take a year off to work so I could save more money.

Thousands of aspiring teachers have to make similar choices each year: Is the cost of student-teaching worth it?

Also known as “clinical practice,” student-teaching isn’t just about observation any more. Yearlong programs, in which student-teachers take on the responsibilities of full-time teachers, are common.

For a full year, I worked alongside my mentor-teacher planning lessons, leading discussions at parent-teacher conferences, grading, teaching regularly and more—all with zero salary or monetary compensation.

Read the full article about student-teaching by Devin Evans at The Hechinger Report.