This fall has begun another round of student teachers in schools across the nation. For Stonehill Education majors, this is something that they look forward to all year.

Junior Marisa Mansen spends every Monday at her pre-practicum at the Joseph C. Chamberlain Elementary School in Taunton, Mass, shadowing a third-grade teacher. She has looked forward to the experience since she was four.

"I've always wanted to teach people things," Mansen said. "Ever since my little cousins were born, I've been playing school with them."

Although he had been preparing her whole life to teach, she was still a little nervous on the first day of her placement.

"I was nervous about doing lessons and meeting the classroom teacher," she said.

Contrary to her fears, she and the teacher she shadows get along great. Mansen said she is very knowledgeable and a great role model to base her skills off of.

Mansen spends her time grading the students work and assisting students one-on-one. The class has started calling it "Miss Mansen Monday" and look forward to her being in class.

"I'm a student in college, but I'm also learning from the students of the class, which is nice," Mansen said.

Participating in her placement at the Manthala George Jr. School in Brockton, Mass. takes Junior Lauren Hennessey back to her own fifth-grade memories, learning double-digit multiplication and the scientific method, back when classwork was broken up by snack time and recess.

Hennessey had even known way back then that she wanted to be a teacher.

"I have always wanted to be a teacher," she said said. "My poor brother has sat through so many lessons that I used to teach him when we would play school."

Still Hennessey notices some differences between the fifth-grade class she assists now and her fifth-grade class back in 2006.

She said there is a lot more individualized learning based on each student's educational needs.

"I did more group work when I was in fifth grade than centers like we are doing now, which really benefits students individually."

Hennessey said she enjoys spending time with kids and has already formed some great relationships with the children in her classroom.

"The kids are really good. I really like them," she said. "They call me Ms. Hennessey. I really dig it."

Both women are looking forward to the future of their teaching careers.

"I'm really excited to learn from teachers I observe to better my ability to instruct a classroom," Hennessey said.

Their next step is full-week student teaching in a classroom every day one semester of senior year.

"I am very excited to create a comfortable learning environment for students, Mansen said. "Somewhere that is safe for them to express themselves."

Mansen also said it is important to her to let her students know that she does not sleep at school and has a life beyond the classroom.

"That is something I always questioned when I was younger," she said. "Do they sleep there or not?"

Being a teacher now, she knows they do not.