RESERVE – East St. John High School is now offering students a class that promotes careers in education.

Students can enroll in the STAR I Class, which offers a variety of field experiences, including five hours of observations at different grade levels, 15-plus hours of internship, and participation in a service-learning project.

“Their work is real-life application of the material studied in class,” said ESJH Principal Patricia Triche. “They assist in classrooms where they work one-on-one with students, plan and teach lessons, and learn first-hand what is required if one decides to become a teacher.”

Triche noted that the class is an approved teacher preparation course created by the Louisiana Department of Education to be used by secondary teachers throughout the state in an attempt to address the national teacher shortage crisis.

“The curriculum is challenging, but also rewarding,” Triche said. “The goal of the STAR I Class is to engage students in the field of education and to achieve the state’s goal of having a caring and competent teacher in every classroom.”

Members of this year’s ESJH STAR I Class are Albreian Cornish, Jennifer Desjardins, Erika Garrett, Brittany Hebert, Keiara Neal, Grace Nsuami, Tyron Tatum, Austin Trosclair and Brooke Wiles.

Four of the STAR I students attended the St. John the Baptist Parish December school board meeting, and Tyron Tatum spoke to board members, expressing his appreciation for the class and his desire to one day teach in a local classroom.