From paper crowns to future careers: Encina CTE students gain real world teaching experience at Greer

Every Wednesday afternoon, the short walk from Encina High School to Greer Elementary School becomes a bridge between two classrooms and two age groups brought together by learning, creativity and connection. The weekly partnership gives Encina students hands-on experience in the education field while providing Greer first graders with additional academic and social support.

For a half hour each week, students in Encina’s Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway in education trade their high school desks for first-grade tables, teaching art and science to Greer’s youngest learners just five minutes away. Before heading out, the high school students gather to prepare materials such as paper crowns labeled “Happy New Year 2026,” designed to help first graders practice fine motor skills while celebrating the new year.

When the Encina students arrive, the first graders’ excitement is immediate. Smiles spread across the room as the high schoolers take on the role of teacher, kneeling beside desks, answering questions and offering encouragement. The classroom hums with conversation, laughter and focused attention.

For Emily, a 12th grader at Encina, the experience affirms her future goals.

“I’m really interested in this class because I want to be a kindergarten teacher,” Emily said. “The main reason is that I like being around kids and being able to help them.”

Her motivation is rooted in her own childhood. Emily said she grew up speaking only Spanish at home and struggled to learn English in school.

“I want to be a teacher to help young children coming from different countries who don’t know English,” she shared.

In the Greer classroom, Emily finds joy in the students’ curiosity and enthusiasm.

“I enjoy teaching them and seeing how they react to the lessons, especially when they ask questions,” she said. 

Another Encina 12th grader, Az’Jah, said she initially enrolled in the class without plans to pursue teaching. But working with first graders shifted her perspective and clarified her career goals.

“Kids in this class inspired me to want to be a nurse for children because I enjoy being around them, interacting with them and learning from them,” Az’Jah said.

She said the experience has been personally grounding.

“I like speaking with them because I can teach them things, but at the same time, they teach me a lot of things that I don’t know and give me a view of the world that I kind of lost as I got older,” she said. 

Az’Jah said building trust with students starts with meeting them where they are.

“My strategy is to go at their pace and let them lead the conversation when they’re ready, so they feel comfortable, supported and included,” she said.

The program is guided by Ana Quinonez, Encina’s CTE education pathway instructor, who said preparation and professionalism are central to the experience.

“We’ve done small units in our classroom about professionalism. So students are aware of their language, how they present themselves and how they approach others,” Quinonez said.

Quinonez said students learn how to design simple, standards-aligned lessons by drawing on activities they enjoyed as children, helping them create instruction that is both meaningful and engaging. 

“The purpose of this class is for students to gain real-world experience and explore whether they have an interest in a career in education,” she said.

She has seen clear growth since the partnership began, noting that students who were once shy are now confident, prepared and comfortable giving directions to younger learners. 

At Greer, first-grade teacher Goldie Mayry believes the collaboration has had a noticeable impact on her students.

“They always come with strong lessons and engaging activities that enhance what we’re already working on. It’s very helpful when they bring their own materials,” she said.

Beyond academics, Mayry said the relationships built each week are just as important. She has seen growth in her students when they receive extra support from high school mentors who take the time to ask questions, follow up and form genuine connections.

As the Encina students pack up their supplies and head back to their classes each Wednesday, the first graders are left with more than completed projects. 

They leave with encouragement, connection and the example set by older students who, for half an hour each week, are discovering what it means to lead, teach and shape the future, both for themselves and for the children watching them closely.