Hannah Zemke ’23 — a seventh-grade math teacher at Rome Middle School — started out as the first undergraduate intern from Berry to teach in Rome City Schools. Thanks to Berry’s teacher education and STEMTeach programs, Hannah turned years of hands-on training into a full-time teaching experience before graduation.
In her pursuit of an education degree, Hannah got involved in the STEMTeach program at Berry. STEMTeach gives students interested in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, math or physics a chance to explore teaching. Hannah was drawn to the program because of its unique opportunities for classroom immersion and mentorship.
“Being able to observe classrooms sooner than my senior year of student teaching was one big factor that drew me to the program,” she explains. “I was able to go into many different classrooms and learn from different teachers how to run a classroom and teach my subject area.”
Hannah was able to test academic skills in a real-world setting. Hundreds of hours of classroom experience connected her with mentors as well as students.
“Watching other teachers teach and manage their classroom allowed me to learn how I might want to run my future classroom,” she notes. “I watched them build relationships with their students and use that to their benefit. Being able to have so much observation experience gave me confidence for my future teaching roles.”
Berry’s STEMTeach program helps students stand out in the job market by providing them with four hours of classroom observation each month, participation in two mentor days with a master teacher each semester and countless volunteer hours. Through STEMTeach, Hannah was able to secure a teaching internship that blossomed into a career.
“I was able to observe and work in Rome City Schools classrooms since my sophomore year of college,” Hannah says. “The biggest difference between the internship and a typical student teaching role is that the internship allows you to teach in your own classroom. In the internship position, you are required to build your own lessons, decide how you want to set up your classroom and also decide how you want to manage it. This gave me a preview opportunity to interact with the student population I am currently serving.”
Hannah found real value in forming connections with her students. STEMTeach has given her a platform to pursue her passion as well as share it with the next generation.
“The most exciting thing to me about teaching is getting to know my students,” she says. “I enjoy getting to hear stories about their lives and getting to know them for the people that they are. I also enjoy getting to be someone that is encouraging in their life. I hope to be a positive role model for them and someone they know they can come to and depend on.”
Story by senior Audrey Bennett
