“The more we can be honest and open with our students about their futures, the more growth and commitment we see as teachers and counselors,” said Kate Robinson, a teacher at Edison Middle School in Champaign, discussing the importance of campus visits for middle school students.
On April 3, 43 seventh graders from Edison, as well as 70 sixth graders from International Prep Academy (IPA), a dual-language school also in Champaign, visited Illinois State University. On April 14, 80 sixth to eighth graders from the Lincoln K–8 School in Peoria also spent time touring campus and engaging in activities planned by the School of Teaching and Learning.
Both visits included students involved in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). Dr. Meghan Kessler, assistant professor of middle level education, explained, “In AVID, students build deep relationships with each other and their teachers, engage in self-reflection, and develop knowledge and skills that will equip them for success on the path towards post-secondary education and college readiness.”
Leann Knight, a school counselor at IPA, affirmed that bringing her AVID students to campus inspired conversations about their futures.
The students from Champaign started their day by participating in Dr. Vivian Presiado’s TCH 272 biliteracy development course. They started with a read aloud of The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson. Students also had the opportunity to engage in conversation with ISU bilingual cohort teacher candidates about their college experiences.
One of these Redbirds, junior Laly Herculano, described how the students decorated rocks to represent a part of their identity: “There was a range of what students drew: a cross to represent their faith, a special quote, their favorite animal, a tree or butterfly to symbolize growth, a color that was special to them, a character, or self-portraits.”
Herculano guided the students from DeGarmo Hall to CEFCU Arena, then onto their favorite part of the day: lunch. “They were most excited for lunch at the dining hall. Most really enjoyed the ice cream machine,” she said.
Brandon Jamirson ‘17, M.A. ‘21, a teacher at Lincoln K–8, said that lunch was also the highlight of the visit for his students from Peoria, not just because they were hungry, he explained, but because they had choices. “Their meals are usually just given to them on a tray,” he said.
To Jamirson, the overarching goal of campus visits is to show that college is not just a dream but can be their reality. The students visited the Multicultural Center to meet college students who look like them and share similar backgrounds. Dr. Christa Platt, director of the Multicultural Center, explained, “We believe it’s important to offer students the opportunity to peer into the college world and have a front row seat to the possibilities as a college student and possibly a Redbird!”
The Peoria students also attended Kessler’s TCH 130 class, which focuses on middle level philosophy and young adolescent development.
Kessler’s teacher candidates prepared a session to help the students explore college life, the challenges and opportunities of middle school, and what it takes to be successful in and after high school. Kessler was proud of her students as they engaged with the students from Peoria.
Both Kessler and Jamirson discussed how the session not only benefited the AVID students but the ISU teacher candidates as well by giving them an opportunity to interact with students beyond the Bloomington-Normal community.
The Champaign school sponsors, Robinson and Knight, also celebrated how their campus visit empowered students. Robinson shared, “Besides them enjoying the dining hall and leaving with full stomachs, they also left with a clearer idea of what a day in the life of a college student looks like.”
Presiado shared how one student even told her, “I want to come to ISU and be a bilingual teacher. See you in a few years!”
By emphasizing representation and responsive pedagogies, students and faculty in the School of Teaching and Learning facilitated a campus experience that empowered middle school students from Champaign and Peoria in a lasting and meaningful way.
Middle school staff interested in a campus visit at ISU should contact Nikki Maurer, assistant director of Student Teaching and Student Affairs in the School of Teaching and Learning.
