Substitute teacher, previous student intern and 2007 graduate Colton Croy played an active role in pre-AP English 10 teacher Shawn Regan’s classroom during first semester. Croy is now the substitute teacher for English teacher Megan Calvillo while she is out on maternity leave.
Finishing his college education for secondary English education, Croy graduated Dec. 15.
He describes his time with Regan as “an experience.”
“It is always a pleasure to work with somebody who is dynamic, who is able to not only find their own group, but work with others,” Croy said. “Having him in there as a mentor helped me figure out what I wanted to do as a teacher.”
While working with Regan, Croy said his favorite part was participating in class discussions and he said that it is still what he enjoys most about his new class.
“Being on the same speaking level with the student as we just discovered things. [Regan] had very interesting ideas on how to work with students that I think a lot of people miss out on,” Croy said.
Croy said that his least favorite part would have to be grading.
“I think that’s most teachers’ [least favorite activity],” Croy said.
Former English teacher Michael Daly was one of Croy’s high school teachers and Croy said Daly is the reason he went to college to be a teacher.
“He treated his students like adults. He was willing to kind of let go of that safety net and if you failed, you failed, but he would make it a teaching moment. You would feel more like a peer then a child in his class,” Croy said. “To be able to be comfortable with your students on that level is something that you should strive for.”
Croy said his junior year was when he made the definite decision to go to college to become a teacher, but is still unsure about his goals as a teacher.
“I would love to just get in there,” Croy said. “I mean the internship really helps you get an idea, but you never really know what exactly you’re getting into until you start. I figure I’ll get in there for a year or two before I start making plans.”
Tenth grade seems like the perfect grade to teach, according to Croy.
“Your students are just becoming well-spoken to really articulate what they’re thinking, but not too old that they don’t want to be here anymore,” Croy said.
The college education to become a teacher, according to Croy, is involved, but not difficult. He said that you must stay on top of assignments though.
Coming back to teach is Croy’s dream.
“It’s interesting coming back to where I did my internship and actually being a certified teacher now. It’s an interesting experience coming once as a student myself and another time I’m expected to be an adult,” Croy said.
