La Quinta High School’s Future Teachers Club celebrated Read Across America on March 2 by reading to students at Amelia Earhart Elementary.

“Read Across America is a day to encourage parents to read to their kids and also to encourage kids to read for themselves,” Brittney Contreras ‘19 said. “We went to go read to a few classes; it was really cool.”

Ms. Ptak, who is the Future Teachers Club adviser, explained that it allows the students to experience firsthand working with kids. She added, “I think it helps them to see whether they want to work with kids. It lets them know whether it’s something they’re into or not.”

The future teachers learned about young children and how to talk with them. For example, Contreras said that to ensure the kids do not drift off, the volunteers ask the young students questions throughout the readings. Sierra Murrell ‘19 said, “The thing that I took from the experience was that you need to be a flexible person and that a little bit of kindness, such as giving a kid a sticker, goes a long way.”

Emily Roessler ‘19 added, “Future Teachers Club is preparing me for my future because I want to become a first-grade teacher. This is giving me learning experiences with the kids, which will be helpful.”