Elementary education students from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Education recently traveled to Bayfield, Wisconsin, to see firsthand what community-based learning and culturally responsive teaching looks like. “As an immersive experience, the students participate in all facets of the school day, including staff and team meetings, all day teaching, and after school responsibilities,” said UW-Platteville Professor Lindsay Hollingsworth, a co-coordinator of the practicum who traveled with the student group. “They get a true experience of what ‘a day in the life of a teacher’ looks like.”
“At first, I was a little on the fence about attending this practicum, 10 days away from home in a place I was not familiar with, but I ultimately decided to participate in the Bayfield practicum, and I absolutely loved it,” said student Olivia Wendhausen. “I really wanted the opportunity to experience teaching styles in a different school and rural community setting. I was very intrigued by a new non-traditional education experience and having the opportunity to work hands-on with students and teachers outside of a usual placement. Overall, I knew this experience would push me outside of my comfort zone and help me grow both personally and professionally.”
The Bayfield School District has worked intentionally in recent years to build a relationship with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Bayfield educates a large number of students in the tribe. The teachers and students use both English and Ojibewe-moen to greet each other. Signs in the school are also posted in both languages. UW-Platteville students got to observe how the Ojibwe culture and language is a part of the Bayfield School District. Students then put into practice the strategies and techniques they’ve learned at UW-Platteville.
“Our students are able to jump right in - guiding morning meetings and teaching small group math and reading lessons. One student taught a whole-group lesson on haikus,” said UW-Platteville Assistant Professor Doug Adams. Adams co-coordinates the practicum and has taken students to Bayfield each year since the program began. “It’s a big confidence booster for our students. They get to try new things, and after this, they feel ready to student teach.”
“I got to experience full days in a classroom, which I wouldn’t have gotten with a traditional practicum experience,” said student Mattie Isaac. “I had the privilege of building relationships with my students and learning all about their lives. I was teaching in front of a whole classroom for an entire day by the end! I was learning and growing the second I arrived.”
The Bayfield partnership began in 2021. Former UW-Platteville School of Education Director, Jennifer Collins, wanted to expand students' understandings of rural areas. A colleague recommended that she reach out to Rick Erickson, a then science and alternative education teacher in the Bayfield School District who championed the program.
This marks the fifth year students from UW-Platteville completed a practicum experience in Bayfield. Seven students participated in this year’s program, but Adams has taken as many as 13 students in the past. “As the program continues, the trust between UW-Platteville and the Bayfield District has grown,” said Adams. “One of the cooperating teachers in Bayfield said it’s her favorite week of the year. Our students bring a jolt of energy and new ideas at a needed point in the school year.”
“I gained a lot from this experience both professionally and personally,” said student Lexi Mieden. “My CT (cooperating teacher) recommended a master’s program to me, and I am considering pursuing it sometime after graduation. This experience deepened my love for teaching.”
Hollingsworth said she also finds the trip beneficial, “I have come to learn that Bayfield, Wisconsin and the Apostle Island National Lakeshore are incredibly beautiful areas with amazing people. I am always excited to go there and sad to leave.”