IN K [ ] L I N G S
Crown Point High School Crown Point, IN @InklingsCPHS January 31, 2020 Vol. 84 Issue 5
Read about first-generation Americans
Birthdays that land on holidays provide interesting experiences
page 6
page 8
Selena Gomez album barely impresses with repetitive songs page 15
A Declining Desire
Best Buddies, NHS pair to Lack of interest in teaching career fuels nationwide shortage host dance, BY MADELYN WHITAKER EMILY HELMUTH promote NOLAN CHASE co-editor-in-chief inclusion assistant editor BY EMMA FRANK associate editor
National Honor Society partnered with the Best Buddies club to hold a dance to celebrate inclusion and friendship. On Jan. 25 members of both clubs attended and Exceptional Learners teacher Liz Hanlon recruited new members to Best Buddies. “We have an event once a month. Usually in January the National Honor Society dance, and then in the coming months, February we have a Valentine’s dance where we decorate cookies, March we have a Mexican Fiesta, April is a painting party, and May is the friendship walk and spring fling end of the year party. So once a month we have an event, it’s a ball,” Hanlon said. Working together this event has been successful. This was the second year of the collaboration and both National Honor Society and Best Buddies representatives want to continue the new tradition. “This was our second year doing this and it was actually an idea of Nick Geisen a former officer from last year. It did so well we decided to do it again,” National Honor Society director Bree Mild said. The members in Best Buddies may not have a one-on-one buddy but according to Hanlon still come to the parties to socialize with others. “Best Buddies is a friendship club where we pair up high school kids with kids that have intellectual disabilities. I have thirty-one buddy pairs, so that’s thirty-one kids with a disability paired up with a regular-ed kid,” Hanlon said. “Then I have probably around fifty-five associate members, that means they’re not paired up with somebody, they just come to the parties for fun, then I have ten associate buddies, which don’t have a oneon-one but want to come to the parties because they wouldn’t be able to handle a friendship with somebody.” Mild thinks that working with other clubs is a major part of growth for the club itself as well as its members. “Club interactions not only see Best Buddies on page 3
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tudents are choosing a variety of different career pathways, yet few are choosing to become teachers. According to the Washington Post, nearly every state, including Indiana, reported having a teacher shortage in 2015. This problem dates back to the 1990-1991 school year, and has continued to grow, as in 2019 the Indiana Department of Education reported a shortage in 15 different subject areas. College and careers counselor Johanna Hess notes how many scholarships, specifically in Indiana, are looking to entice students to become teachers and stay in Indiana in hopes of combating the state-wide shortage. “The next generation Hoosier Educator Scholarship was created by the state a few years ago, specifically to address the teacher shortage. It’s designed in a way that students have to teach in Indiana for a certain amount of time afterwards, that cover $7500 per year for four years, so it’s a pretty good chunk of your tuition, especially if you go to a school like IUN, PNW, it’ll cover almost your full tuition,” Hess said. “... With that scholarship, Indiana is looking for a way to keep teachers in-state, because even though there are teachers that are graduating with the major, they are moving out of state and going to states that pay higher wages. This program was specifically designed to address that.” While Hess notes that the number of students looking to become teachers has decreased over the years, she noticed it has become stagnant at this point. She comments on how the internship program at the high school helps to inform students on their decision to major in education or not because of the insight it provides. “I have had students that have changed their minds. That happens sometimes, where students will do a work experience where they were with kids and find out that ‘I don’t actually like to work with kids,’ they like the subject but they don’t like to work with kids,” Hess said. “The other thing that can happen is individuals can start researching out average pay [and] career trajectory, and they
PHOTO BY MADELYN WHITAKER Junior Mia Depta prepares a lion’s mane out of craft supplies for the education internship program which is taught by FACS teacher Ginny Zega. Depta, along with other interns, goes to elementary schools during the day to gain work insight into teaching.
decide ‘it’s really not what I want to do practically for my life.’” FACS Teacher Ginny Zega holds an internship program that is a starting point for students who want to become teachers. Junior Mia Depta, who is currently involved in the internship program, explains the influence that her family has had on her interest in teaching. Depta also describes the impact that the internship has had on her decision to pursue teaching.
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I think what will have a major impact on students choosing is the income level. I also think it’s what they are hearing from parents, teachers, peers. Parents and teachers might en courage other profes sions based on their experience.
college and career counselor Johanna Hess “I come from a family full teachers so they’ve kind of inspired me to keep going,” Depta said. “So it (the internship program) has helped me decide that this is really what I want to do, and it’s also helped me become more comfortable so that when I have to be around kids when I’m in college, I’ll be ready for that.”
However, some students feel that teaching would not be a suitable career for them because of the pay and the nature of the work. Junior Jeremy Quasney touches on his reasons for never considering a career in teaching. “I would be a horrible teacher, as I am bad at explaining things,” Quasney said. “The salary is not the best. Kids’ behaviors are getting worse and worse. I would not like that eventually.” According to Hess, various factors come into play when a student considers pursuing a career in education. Students are not only influenced by personal experience, but also by those they know in their lives. “I think what will have a major impact on students choosing is the income level. I also think it’s what they are hearing from parents, teachers, peers,” Hess said. “Parents and teachers might encourage other professions based on their experience.” Jerome Flewelling, Indiana Teacher of the Year in 2018, says he encourages students who have a passion for education to pursue their passion, despite the income struggles Indiana teachers face. “Mainly there are a lot of teachers that are telling their students don’t go into education. It’s not a good time for that and what we have in Indiana, we get paid the lowest out of all of the surrounding states,” Flewelling said. “A starting teacher salary when you come out of school now
Have you ever seriously considered a career in teaching?
25 students 50 students
93 students
Yes, and I still am.
Yes, but not anymore.
No
Do you think more money should be given to public education? 18 students
147 students
No
Yes
Has a teacher impacted your decision to pursue a teaching career?
65 students 102 students
Yes
No out of 168 students polled
see education on page 3