University of Georgia English Education teacher candidate Delainey Brown works with a student in Room 227 on Feb. 10. Brown has student-taught for English department teacher Jessica Bradbury since August 2023, and while Brown is excited about the opportunities presented to her, she realizes she’s had to shift the way she carries out these responsibilities. “You have to be really good at managing your time. I know for me I procrastinate a lot so that is a big switch that I’ve had to make,” Brown said. “If you don’t submit your college work, you can always resubmit it for a late grade, but with student teaching, you have to have everything ready every day, there’s deadlines.” Photo by Isabelle Duncan
English department teacher Jessica Bradbury paves the way for University of Georgia English Education teacher candidate Delainey Brown’s full-time teaching this semester.
Clarke Central High School English department teacher Jessica Bradbury and University of Georgia English Education teacher candidate Delainey Brown have collaborated in Room 227 since August 2023.
Throughout the fall semester, Brown’s UGA and CCHS duties consisted of lesson planning to help students with reading and writing strategies. Brown was on-site at CCHS two days a week for most of the fall but is now in the classroom full-time.
“The first semester when (I was) here part-time, (my professors) had us do a lot of assignments where you would plan a lesson and they would ask for a specific focus. I would video those and my professors would watch them, provide feedback for me and they would also grade my lesson plans,” Brown said.
University of Georgia English Education teacher candidate Delainey Brown works with a student in Room 227 on Feb. 10. CCHS Senior Addy Root worked with Brown in the fall and appreciates Brown’s demeanor in class. “I think (Brown is) a really positive person. She was very good at making the environment feel welcoming and not scary or like you’re (not only) here for the purpose of getting graded and learning but also to enjoy learning,” Root said. Photo by Isabelle Duncan
Bradbury has worked with teacher candidates in the past and feels the collaboration makes her reflect on her own teaching and its effectiveness.
“I noticed that, since the student teachers observed more in the fall, I have to be able to explain everything I do, I have to put more thought into it. I have to go through the process of, ‘Why do I do this? Is this the most effective thing?’” Bradbury said. “Then I have to be able to explain it. I feel like this is helpful especially when establishing routines, that process of reflecting on everything I do.”
Starting in January, Brown took over teaching two of Bradbury’s classes, Advanced and On-Level 11th Grade Literature. For Brown, the shift has been positive.
“It’s not really that much of a change, it’s just I get to be here every day rather than seeing the instruction, just parts of it. I enjoy being here every day because I can see the progress of their learning more clearly, and how they piece together information day by day. It’s exciting,” Brown said.
While Brown is excited about the opportunities presented to her, she realizes she’s had to shift the way she carries out these responsibilities.
“You have to be really good at managing your time. I know for me I procrastinate a lot so that is a big switch that I’ve had to make,” Brown said. “If you don’t submit your college work, you can always resubmit it for a late grade, but with student teaching, you have to have everything ready every day, there’s deadlines.”
University of Georgia English Education teacher candidate Delainey Brown (left) poses with Clarke Central High School English department teacher Jessica Bradbury (right) in Room 227 on Feb. 10. Brown has student-taught for Bradbury since August 2023, and Bradbury has observed her teach full-time this semester. “(Brown teaching) is a positive for me. She has done a great job taking over, she’s teaching two classes and I feel like I have the opportunity to sit back and just observe, that’s really nice,” Bradbury said.
CCHS Senior Addy Root worked with Brown in the fall and appreciates Brown’s demeanor in class.
“She was really good at recognizing students in the classroom, like addressing certain needs of someone and checking in and making sure that nothing’s wrong or anything,” Root said. “She was very sweet about those types of things and making people feel heard for what they write.”
Brown’s student teaching will end April 26, and she hopes to leave a positive impression on the students she has worked with at CCHS.
“I hope that they leave loving learning, because a lot of them have a complicated relationship with school. Some of them really love school, and then some of them don’t. I want them to have a better relationship with learning,” Brown said.
