With face coverings being commonplace in 2020, student teacher, Haleigh Pate, works to show more of her personality that is behind the mask to students as she works towards her dream of becoming a teacher. 

Pate’s student teaching experience is different than what she expected, presenting struggles she is not used to. Some of her main challenges include being unsure of herself and dealing with the new aspects of teaching that students do not see. Due to COVID-19, Pate must wear a mask in school, which prevents her students from seeing her full face. 

“Teaching [during] Corona is pretty hard. It’s just new challenges, but I would say that it’s not really what I expected because actually being in a classroom versus being a student is very different,” Pate said.   

Pate began her in-class experience in August with the help of Marsha Loversky, Advanced Composition and Journalism teacher, who mentors Pate during her development as a teacher.  

“Mrs. Loversky has been great. She’s just let me jump in headfirst and do a bunch of things,” Pate said.  

Pate was originally a nursing major, but soon after she realized she did not enjoy biology and switched to Secondary English Language Arts Education. Once completing her major, she will be able to teach English for grades 6-12. Teaching is in her blood. 

“My sister is a teacher, as well, so I can kind of use her as a muse sometimes,” Pate said. 

Grading papers and teaching occasional lessons are some of the skills Pate has fine-tuned through her student teaching experience. Despite all the new challenges, she looks forward to graduating from Reinhardt University. 

“I graduate in May, and I have a countdown on my calendar at home because I can’t wait,” Pate said.  

Although students are unable to see her face, students discover more about Pate as she reveals more of her personality. Pate looks forward to being able to remove more of her “mask” to the students as the year continues.