Nearly two dozen Campbellsville University School of Education students visited Marion County Public Schools recently to observe classes and learn more about the nearby school district.
“We’ve had a very strong relationship with Campbellsville University for quite some time now, and this event was just an extension of that already important partnership,” MCPS Superintendent Chris Brady said. “It was a great day for a group of future educators to learn about our district and our schools as well as getting to observe our teachers in action.”
CU students visited Glasscock Elementary, Marion County Knight Academy, and Marion County High School before getting a tour of the MCPS Dream Bus and concluding their visit at the MCPS central office. In addition to observing classes, the group was given the opportunity to engage in classroom activities and talk to teachers about the profession.
The students are enrolled in Dr. Jeff Wiesman’s Human Development class at CU.
“At this point they’ve seen teaching from a student viewpoint in the classroom. Now we need to get them to see it from a teacher’s viewpoint,” Wiesman said. “I definitely wanted them to make connections with course content. When we get into learning theory I want them to be able to see what teachers are doing that lends itself to cognitive development [...] Today was a great opportunity for them and for me. I love building partnerships and today was a great start.”
For CU student Gentry Phillps, the observations left a lasting impression.
“I was very impressed with the school system. I loved meeting the teachers and how involved they were with the class and the students,” he said. “It was clearly an environment made to allow students to be relaxed all while learning. I was especially impressed with the student and teacher interaction -- it was a great student environment.”
CU freshman and aspiring high school teacher Madison Barlow echoed those sentiments.
“I thought it was excellent. The students and the staff were really nice, I really enjoyed my visit,” she said. “The classroom management, with how well-behaved students were with teachers, was impressive. And I saw no reactive teaching. All of the students and teachers had a really good relationship.”
MCPS is planning to host another district visit in the spring.
