FOLEY — At a school where 20 of the certified faculty members are alumni, Foley High School (FHS) students are learning what it is like to work in a classroom in the hands-on career tech class for future educators.

In the future education program, groups of FHS students visit Florence B. Mathis Elementary for one school period to assist teachers by reading a book to the class, helping with activities or projects, setting up a classroom or working with students one-on-one as needed for extra help.

Stephanie Cody, instructor for the future educators, said the class is open to all students, even if they are not planning to work in education as students learn a variety of applicable life skills during the program.

In a program that started with just 40 students and one teacher, the class has seen significant student interest within the three years of its existence as it has now grown to 180 students requiring two teachers.

Giselle Hernandez, a senior at FHS, said her favorite part of the program is engaging hands-on with elementary students.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to be a teacher before taking this class. Now she's even thinking about joining the numbers of alumni faculty in Baldwin County Public Schools. She is planning to work with younger kids and is considering working in an English as a second language (ESL) class.

As one of the bilingual students Cody has brought to Mathis Elementary, Hernandez decided to work this year helping within the ESL classroom to see if that helps her make her decision.

A senior who is in her third year of the program, Mary Messick plans to go to school to work in education after graduating from FHS. With her mother working as a second-grade teacher, Messick thought she wanted to teach little kids before taking part in the program.

Working at Mathis Elementary as a teacher's assistant, she learned "that age is not my age" and she would prefer to stick to high school students. She said this was an "eye-opener" and saves her from figuring out what age group she'd like to work with while she's in college.

"It wasn't the kids misbehaving or anything like that, it's just I feel like I have a better connection with older kids than I do younger kids," she said. "I want to be a mentor towards the older kids."

Calin Mueller, senior student in her third year of the program, said the program has provided her with an experience helping in an elementary classroom where "each day is different."

On a typical day at Mathis, Mueller walks around a classroom helping students with activities. Her favorite memory of her time in the program was the first time she read the students a book and engaging the kids as she worked "animating" the book as she read.

"I feel like I've always wanted to be a teacher," she said. "I almost did want to be a vet, but I realized my passion for teaching was way stronger."

Some students take the program and realize they might not enjoy teaching as much as they thought, which Cody says is beneficial as some colleges don't offer student-teaching positions in a classroom until junior year.

FHS junior Haedyn Shoots said he has learned more about working in a classroom environment in a hands-on manner rather than "learning from a book or assignments" and the program has impacted his experience as a student.

"I actually know more about teaching instead of just seeing it from the outside," he said. "You can see that it's really hard to be in a class with a bunch of different students and different personalities. It's changed my respect to teachers because it's a lot on them to be in a classroom every day."

He's not sure if he wants to work in education after high school but if he does, he will want to coach basketball, a sport he currently plays at Foley, in addition to teaching. He plans to take part in the future education program next year and hopes to take some of the real estate career tech classes.

Madigan Eckhoff, also a junior at FHS, said she decided to join the program to explore her options for careers post-high school. She said teaching is one of her options but she's not sure if she wants to work in education after high school.

Eckhoff was one of the few first freshmen students to join the program.

When the future education program originally started three years ago, it was only open to sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Senior student Sadie Langham joined the program as a sophomore. She said, despite enjoying the classroom setting, the program helped her decide to go to school for interior or apparel design.

Inspiration struck her as she was designing a bulletin board.

"I felt I liked designing more and I feel like that will be more 'me,'" she said. "I do really like education and want to be in a classroom, but design is more my speed."

FHS principal Jessica Webb said each of the career tech programs at the school have seen growth in student participation. She said even though the classes are filling up quickly and require more teachers each year, this increase in student involvement is a positive thing.

"It gives kids an opportunity to find out is this what you want to do — or just as important — if it's not what you want to do," she said. "You had a chance before you graduated to say, 'this might not be what I wanted to do; I have a respect for it and I learned a lot but it's not what I want to do,' but if it is, it gives you an edge on everybody else coming out of high school."