Even as a kindergartner at Clarkson Elementary, Leanne Riggs already knew she wanted to become a teacher.
“I always loved school. I had good teachers. And then in 5th grade, we started talking about social studies, and I loved it so much,” she shared.
It was at that point she decided “I'm going to go to WKU, and I'm going to come back to Grayson County, and I'm going to be a high school history teacher.”
That childhood dream became reality this school year as Riggs became the first in Kentucky to complete the K12 Education Apprentice Track, offered by Grayson County High School. After graduating from Western Kentucky University in May, she is now in her “dream job” teaching social studies at her alma mater.
Through its Career and Technical Education pathways and in partnership with WKU, GCHS has been a pioneer in developing and growing the apprenticeship program, a newer approach that provides aspiring educators with hands-on, work-based teaching opportunities while still in high school. It also gives them a practical leg-up once they enter college.
“Being the first one in the state to complete the internship is such an honor. I'm really thankful that I get to represent Grayson County in bringing awareness to the teacher apprenticeship program that we have here. I think Grayson County's program is something other schools and districts can model for aspiring teachers.”
Riggs was slated to begin the pathway coming out of her sophomore year. The journey was postponed when COVID-19 hit, but she found a silver lining.
“That summer between my sophomore and junior year, there was nothing to do. Everybody was on lockdown, so I just went ahead and took 2 summer classes that year. My junior and senior year, I had a full, high school schedule and a full college schedule, earning dual credit.”
The hands-on part of the apprenticeship began in earnest her senior year, along with classmates Jadyn Forsyth and Ashley Dotson who are continuing in the program, both in college and in the classroom.
As with any first-time venture, there were a lot of unknowns. Riggs credits Grayson County Technology Center Director Matt Hayes for his belief in the opportunity and positivity in navigating the journey. Whatever came up he just said, “We'll figure it out. We'll make it happen.”
The opportunity for hands-on teaching experience was something most education majors don’t often have until student teaching later in college. Riggs senior year at GCHS was packed with teacher life and guidance from Family & Consumer Science teacher Cody Mooneyhan.
“We did lesson plans. We actually taught the lesson plans. Sometimes we would make lesson plans for her, for other teachers. We made bulletin boards. We filed attendance notes. You name it.”
Even with her goal of being a high school teacher, Riggs said it was “nerve-wracking” to be in front of a classroom teaching her peers and classmates.
“I had freshmen to seniors, and they were people I went to school with, so I was a little nervous. Ms. Mooneyhan was in the class with us and I learned a lot about class management skills from her.”
Riggs credits those experiences with helping her get out of her comfort zone, thinking, “if I can teach people I go to school with, I can teach anybody. It really built up a lot of confidence.”
Her college peers were amazed at the level of preparation and support she received through the pathway. Her experience with lesson planning and other assignments made her stand out to her professors, as well.
Riggs was able to skip her first round of clinicals with WKU because of all the experience she gained at GCHS. It’s also led to the possibility of credit hours towards a master's degree through WKU that’s currently being explored. She’s considering social studies, “so I could teach dual credit social studies classes here.”
For any student looking to pursue a career in teaching, Riggs gives the program a solid stamp of approval.
“Do it. And do it all the way,” she emphasized. “It was so beneficial for me. I earned a lot of opportunities, earned clinical credit, and got to have so many experiences even before starting my teaching career.”
“I'm fresh out of college, I got my dream job. With more and more opportunities coming together, it's definitely something to take advantage of. And the experience just really builds up your confidence.”
“I think the program really grew me as a person, and I will continue to advocate for the pathway. It's something that I'm passionate about.”