Bollywood, ukulele and kayaking are not usually considered typical areas of instruction, but for students at Tuscaloosa Magnet Elementary School these subjects, among others, can be found in classrooms Tuesday afternoons.
Often times the teachers of these classes are as unusual as the subject matter because they are led by University of Alabama students and faculty, as well as Tuscaloosa community members, as part of the UA Partnership Program.
The program, started by Principal Jeanne Burkhalter, was originally designed as a small music program led by a student’s parent. It has since evolved into a school-wide enrichment program, and each semester students can take a class of their choice taught by a partner from the Tuscaloosa community.
“It was her idea of expanding children’s minds to things they wouldn’t otherwise have had access to,” Mike Bissell, the school’s IB coordinator, said. “It started with music, and it took on a life of its own. It spiraled out of control, but in a good way.”
Today the organization has grown to include more than 24 subjects for third- through fifth-grade students to choose from, including Japanese, journalism, knitting, soccer and Minecraft, all taught by different community members.
The chess class this semester is taught entirely by UA students through the Every Move Counts Program, a course offered though the Honors College.
(See also “Students participate in new chess program at magnet school“)
Savanna Trinkle, who is majoring in elementary education at the University, leads the chess partnership classes and said she can see the impact college students have on the kids.
“We are adults in their lives who aren’t there to discipline them or to make them learn something in which they have absolutely no interest,” Trinkle said. “We are there to be adults in their lives who truly care about building relationships with them and seeing them succeed in something that they enjoy.”
(See also “UA honors students mentor 280 children in world of chess“)
Trinkle also said the subject and student teachers make a difference in the classroom dynamic, as the kids are always excited to learn something other than regular school-day material.
“My favorite part of teaching a Partnership class is seeing the kids come in at the beginning of class,” Trinkle said. “Even though their day is almost over, they are full of energy and are genuinely excited to begin because they have chosen to be in a class they love. It makes teaching them so much more exciting.”
Tammy Barkey, head of the PTA and a logistical facilitator of the partnership program, said she thinks the elementary students enjoy interaction with college students because it provides them with an influence they can identify with more easily.
“They love having someone closer to their age,” Barkey said. “It’s a good stepping stone as a mentor because it gives the kids a shorter step of thinking that they can accomplish these things. They can connect those dots more easily.”
Barkey, a mother of two students who attend the magnet school, said she has seen the joy the program brings her children, who have taken subjects including journalism, medieval times, geology and yoga.
Her daughter was particularly fond of the geology unit, taught by a UA professor and his wife, and continued learning about the subject after the partnership class had ended by visiting different formations around the Tuscaloosa area.
“[My daughter] loved it so much that even after the semester was over she wanted to keep investigating and learning more,” Barkey said. “It’s cool that the kids can learn something in the schools and take it out into their community. It’s a great jumping off point.”
In addition to taking classes, Barkey said sometimes TMSE students step into the role of teachers themselves and teach a class on a subject they are extremely interested in with the help of a faculty member.
Students and faculty members interested in becoming a partner with TMSE can contact Barkey at [email protected] to get more information.
(See also “Music program open to all students“)
