Due to the AAP’s small class sizes —
program-wide, all AAP classes are capped at 35 seats — students are
able to form closer bonds with both their professors and their
classmates than they might otherwise. This is especially true for AAP
education students, who follow the same course progression and tend to
take many of the same classes together. With the advent of COVID-19,
Rose said, she and her classmates depended on each other more than
ever.
“We were a very tight-knit group to begin with, but the collective
challenges we faced last spring brought our bond even closer,” she said.
“We were faced with finishing our student teaching during a pandemic,
and we all managed to do it together. We taught each other on Zoom,
shared ideas and shared our struggles together.
"The fact that we all made it work, finished teaching the students in
our placements remotely and graduated on time was extremely inspiring.”
Rose excelled academically during her time at UD. She was awarded the
Highest GPA honor at her AAP Convocation ceremony in 2017 and received
three major awards from the University when she graduated with her
bachelor’s degree in spring 2020: the Center for Secondary Education’s
Outstanding Student Teacher Award; the Eve Holst Clift Award, which is
given to a graduating history major for outstanding academic
performance; and the Alumni Undergraduate Award for History/Social
Studies Education, which is awarded for excellence in student teaching.
Rose began teaching 11th-grade American history at her alma mater,
Cape Henlopen High School, in August 2020. As a very recent college
graduate, however, she faced the same classroom-management challenge
that many young educators encounter when they begin their careers: How
do you exert authority when you are only a few years older than your
students?
“Being a young teacher in a high school was initially a worry of
mine, but it has actually proved to work to my advantage,” Rose said.
“My students have been able to connect with me knowing that I have,
quite literally, sat in their seat before, and not very long ago. I hope
that seeing someone my age in the building is inspiring for my students
as they begin their journey into college and their future careers.”
Rose also discovered an informal benefit to the narrow age gap
between herself and her students: “I still understand all the memes,
social media references and slang terms they use,” she said, laughing.
In addition to the issues that all new teachers face as they work to
find their footing in the classroom, Rose faced a unique challenge as
she began her career: teaching during a global pandemic. During the fall
2020 semester, she taught two cohorts of students in person on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, while Wednesday classes were taught
remotely via Zoom.
“The pandemic has really impacted the way that my teaching looks,”
she said. “I have had to modify every lesson plan I have to suit the
needs of hybrid and remote learners at my school. This has involved more
time on the computer than I could have ever anticipated. While I was
familiar with [the learning-management application] Schoology, Google
Docs and many other tech tools before, this year has really forced me to
expand my knowledge even further and get creative with instruction.”
As such a recent college graduate, Rose was proficient with
cutting-edge educational and collaborative-learning technology. When the
Cape faculty were suddenly confronted with pandemic-related instruction
and communication challenges, this aptitude made her a valuable asset
to her fellow teachers.
“I have been able to help many of the veteran teachers in my building
with technology, which has been a great experience for me as a
first-year teacher,” she said. “This has shown me that even as a
brand-new teacher, I have many valuable skills to bring to my school and
share with others. Most recently, I was able to share my ‘Virtual
Classroom’ during a professional development course with the other
teachers in my building.”
The pandemic presented a host of challenges unrelated to technology,
however, and Rose said she discovered that she would also need to change
certain aspects of her teaching style.
“Wearing a mask has been a tough transition for me, as I am someone
who smiles and relies heavily on my facial expressions while teaching,”
she said. “I have had to modify instruction to fit my smaller, in-person
classes, which has been difficult. I love having students work
together, but I have had to reimagine what that looks like with smaller
groups and social distancing guidelines.”
Rose credits her colleagues at Cape for helping her to successfully navigate her inaugural year.
“As a first-year teacher, I am extremely fortunate to have a strong
support system in my school,” she said. “My administration is very
supportive, and I felt so welcomed in my first few weeks. Similarly, my
Social Studies Department is full of wonderful, experienced teachers who
are always there for me when I have questions, need advice or need a
good laugh.”
Was it daunting to join her former teachers as their new colleague?
Yes and no, Rose said. “There are a few teachers that I had in high
school who have helped me,” she said. “It has been such a surreal
experience to be teaching in the same building as many of the amazing
people who inspired me to pursue teaching as a career.
“Returning to my old high school as a teacher, I feel beyond
fortunate to give back to the community I have lived in almost my whole
life.”
Article by Erin Tanner; photos courtesy of Amanda Rose
Published Feb. 10, 2021
