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Albion College Maymester showcases 18 teacher candidates working in Marshall Public Schools
Summary
Albion College presented its 19th annual Maymester showcase at the Marshall Public Schools board meeting, highlighting 18 teacher-candidates who taught interdisciplinary units in district classrooms and used donor-funded classroom budgets.
Marshall — Albion College and Marshall Public Schools on May 19 highlighted a two-decade partnership as Albion’s Maymester teacher-candidates presented projects they taught across the district.
The presentation at the Marshall Public Schools board meeting described 18 teacher candidates who worked in K–12 classrooms this spring and used modest donor-funded budgets to purchase materials and mount experiential learning. "We have 18 teacher candidates this semester ... and they have given at least $6,300 this semester towards public education in Marshall, going directly to students in classrooms," said Suellen Henke, representing Albion College’s Fritz Schirmer Center for Teacher Development and the college’s Education Department.
The showcase, scheduled for Thursday, May 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., will present finished classroom projects and student work created during Maymester. Jill Mortimer, a co-instructor for Maymester, told the board the candidates developed standards-based interdisciplinary units and took students on numerous field trips, including visits to the Marshall Hydroelectric Plant, the Whitehouse Nature Center, and local museums.
Board members heard short summaries from several teacher-candidates describing classroom units. Examples included an art-integrated poetry unit in a fifth-grade class; a hands-on science unit about water and dams that included clay model testing; a Romeo and Juliet reading-and-writing unit for high school freshmen; and a unit that took elementary students to True North Ice Cream to make ice cream as part of lessons on money and measurement. Student presenters credited district mentor teachers and community partners with enabling field trips and in-class experiences.
Board President Amanda Lankard praised the program and encouraged the teacher-candidates to continue in the profession. "It is so awesome to hear about all of your projects and the passion that you bring to these kids and teachers every day," Lankard said.
Nut graf: The Maymester program places Albion teacher-candidates in Marshall classrooms for an intensive spring term; each candidate received an individually managed materials budget supported by endowed donors Robert and Sarah Maxfield. The program aims to provide classroom support and experiential learning opportunities while developing future teachers who often remain in local public schools.
Supporting details: Speakers described that project materials remain in classrooms after Maymester; candidates collaborated with mentor teachers over January–April and planned interdisciplinary units tied to standards. The board packet includes an invitation and candidate biographies, and the board noted the showcase will be open to the public.
Ending: The school board encouraged attendance at the Thursday showcase and acknowledged the program’s long-standing relationship with Marshall Public Schools. The board did not take action on the presentation; the items were informational and celebratory.
