How do teachers become teachers? Of course, they aren’t born with a ruler and chalk in hand. All soon-to-be teachers must go through a process called student teaching. Two outstanding student teachers at Cypress High are preparing to become the next generation of educators. How do they do it?

How do student teachers manage the stress of both their schoolwork and teaching work? Ms. Kim, a student at the University of California Irvine (UCI), believes that it’s “really helpful to make friends. . .” so that the stress doesn’t take over. Kim is currently student-teaching in room 238. When she was in high school, art made her feel, “really safe and free to be able to create and be myself.” She became a teacher because she enjoys art to the fullest and wants to “keep doing that and share it with other people” and wants “art to be a safe space for everyone.”

Mr. Ahn, former CHS journalism staff writer, teaches fourth and fifth period freshman English classes in room 325 where he once was a student. He believes that there are many pros and cons to becoming a teacher. “I really do enjoy working with the students. The experience of teaching is something that I really enjoy doing,” Ahn explained. “Of course there are things about teaching that I don’t like as much, like grading. . .” He is in the Master’s program at UCI that leads to a Master’s degree in teaching and a CA teaching credential.

Overall, before they become teachers, they must go through a long process of learning from the masters so that they can finally reach their dreams of educating the future of our generation.