College students taking pressure off grade school teachers

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston area nonprofit is working with school districts to increase test scores and provide mentorship at elementary schools.

"I was a teacher for six years and I had a student teacher one year, and it changed the game in my classroom," explained iEducate program manager Lindsey Polk. "So, I really thought every classroom should have a college student in it."

iEducate hires college students to co-teach in third, fourth and fifth grade classrooms at Aldine, Houston, Spring and Alief ISDs, as well as KIPP schools.

More adults mean more individual time for students.

And the college students benefit too.

"As much as I'm there to teach them, they're there to teach me," explained University of Houston junior Amanda Caceres. "Sometimes they're like, 'Amanda, that was not a very good teacher thing of you.' Or, like, 'I like the way you explain this better than you explain that.'"

You can find out more about the program through iEducate's website.

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