Like most student teachers, Kirkland Elementary School’s Jordan Hawkins prepares for class and talks with more experienced teachers about how best to help students master the material.

Unlike most student teachers, Jordan Hawkins is 9 years old and in 4th-grade.

The definition of precocious, exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age, describes Jordan perfectly.

Using lesson plans prepared by his supervising teacher, Kristi Vestal, Jordan spends 30 minutes each week teaching 1st-graders. Jordan looks forward to each week’s teaching assignment.

"Jordan has a real talent for working with younger students. They consider it a privilege to attend Jordan's lessons, and they frequently ask me how they can sign up for the student teacher's class," says Ron Christy, Kirkland’s principal.

"It's not me the students like. It's just because I'm a good teacher that they like me," claims Jordan.

Vestal says she enjoys watching how well Jordan works with the 1st-graders.

"Jordan is such a natural at teaching them how to read. I tell him what skills I'd like him to teach and he comes up with his own ways of teaching that work really well," she says.

The young student teacher works with his students on reading and writing skills. One day he helps them sound out vowel sounds while writing the letters on dry erase boards to create real and silly words. Another day he leads the students in reading books. 

Little escapes Jordan’s attention when he teaches.

"I can tell when she is reading that she is looking at the whole picture, not just the word, to figure out what the word is," he says, pointing to one of his students.

Jordan has a special way of encouraging and guiding the 1st- graders. He offers suggestions and praise and allows each student to be a participant in the lesson and clean up.

"I asked Matt if he would like to help one of the teachers, and he said 'Help? I can teach!'" Christy says.

With the precedent set, Christy this year took notice of Jordan.

"Mr. Christy and I are very good friends. He sits with me at lunch sometimes, and one day he talked to me about becoming a teacher," says Jordan.

The next thing Jordan knew, Christy was announcing in a school assembly that the 4th-grader would begin his job as a student teacher for 1st-graders.

"The first thing I wanted to know was what I needed to teach the little kids," says Jordan. Part of his preparation was asking for and receiving his own copy of state standards for what 1st-graders should be learning.

His focus on preparation did not cloud other aspects of his new assignment. Jordan says the best day of teaching was when he got his students for the first time.

The benefits of Kirkland's student teaching program are many. Younger students are extra attentive when receiving instruction in small groups from an older peer, and according to Vestal, student understanding and knowledge has increased since the 9-year-old began his job. Jordan believes he and other student teachers will learn from one another by comparing how they each teach. In addition, he says, they will be better students by better understanding a teacher’s role and point of view.

"I like working with Jordan because I like to read and work with him."
—Hunter

"I like Jordan because he's nice, kind, and smart."
—Brendan

"I like to read with Jordan because we have fun reading and we go over stuff."
—Debriana

"I like to read and count with Jordan."
—Taylor

Jordan Hawkins’ talents caught the attention of more than his school’s principal and teachers. KOCO-TV reporter Terri Watkins came to Kirkland to watch Jordan teach and interview him. Her feature story – the last of her 24 years at KOCO, since she is leaving the news business for another opportunity – aired as part of the station’s Centennial celebration series "Believe in Oklahoma."