Student Teaching Leads to Career in Secondary Education

Tyler Roberts '20 feels well prepared for the unique challenge of completing his first year of teaching during a pandemic. He works as a high school chemistry and physical science teacher at Mount Hope High School in Bristol, RI after graduating from RWU with a double major in biology and secondary education. 

His students are half in-person and half virtual, but that doesn’t stop Roberts from applying what he learned at RWU. His programs focused on building trust and relationships as a teacher. 

“The work I did in my classes really applied to what I am doing now,” he said. “They had a large emphasis on multicultural education and teaching diverse learners. If I had not known how essential that was, I would have had a more difficult transition into teaching and getting more comfortable with my students.” 

Throughout the pandemic, Roberts has had to be even more flexible and accommodating than is usually required of a teacher. To his advantage, Roberts has professional connections at Mount Hope High School built during his RWU experience. 

He did his student teaching and practicum at Mount Hope High School during his senior year of college. When he saw job posting at Mount Hope High School, he reached out to his supervising teacher, and was able to get the job. 

“I knew [my supervising teacher] would really help me transition to my first year of teaching, especially during a pandemic. Knowing he was there as a mentor made me feel more comfortable,” said Roberts.