At the start of the second semester, students in Lacy Krell’s Dual Enrollment English 12 Class and Mellissa Schappell’s Visual and Performing Arts Academy Classes noticed some new faces. Krell and Schappell are both hosting student teachers.
“All the great teachers I had made me want to try the same for others, plus I could still do art every day,” said Valentine.
Student Teacher Marife De La Mar has now fully taken over Krell’s lessons and is teaching classes daily. She is from Old Dominion University and is scheduled to be in the class until May 1, 2026. Her drive came from her genuine passion for the subject.
“I really like reading and writing,” said De La Mar. “I like talking about it with people, and I like working with teens.”
One may wonder about the process that got these student teachers here and why it is so important, especially within the field of education.
“VBCPS has a partnership with all the local colleges and their education departments. Dr. Avilla is responsible for retention and recruitment, and it is his job to maintain those partnerships,” said Krell. “If we have the ability to teach teachers how we want it done in Virginia Beach, then it gives us a bigger pool to hire from. Win-win during what many are calling a teacher shortage.”
Thus, given the teacher shortage, student teachers are given an opportunity while also learning about our schools and potentially getting hired to stay on (like Ms. Hakim was).
“I am always excited for a new generation of teachers. I love education and learning in general, so teaching new teachers doesn’t get much more meta,” said Krell.
This is Schappell’s first time hosting a student teacher.
“ I am excited and nervous at the same time,” said Schappell.
However, like anything else, adjusting to a new environment, especially in student teaching.
“[I struggle] constantly. Everyday. I struggle with knowing if I am actually teaching the students what they need to and if I even know enough to be teaching English,” said De La Mar.
Having a student teacher gives the host teacher opportunities to learn as well.
“We offer such specialized instruction [for the student teachers], so yes, it is a bit weird to teach someone something who will then use that and teach your students, instead of teaching the students directly. However, it is kind of cool to watch how someone else approaches similar themes and concepts and makes the lesson their own,” said Schappell.
In the coming weeks, Valentine and De La Mar will continue to learn more about teaching. The field of education rests on the new generation to come up with new ideas and pave the way for the future.
