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Recently I was asked to be a guest presenter for an undergraduate education class at Bartlesville Wesleyan University, a college not too far from my high school.
At the end of my presentation, I asked four students if I could interview them for a podcast episode.
I had two goals in this conversation:
1. I wanted to hear from prospective educators their motivations, dreams, and challenges in choosing this career.
2. I wanted others to be reminded why investing in training, recruiting, and supporting strong teachers is so essential.
I’m indebted to the generosity of Dr. Jeffrey Keeney for allowing me to present to his class, and to the four students who agreed to participate in this podcast: Shelby Totino of Spearfish, South Dakota; Karley Baker of Fredonia, Kansas; Kelly Tjon of Houston, Texas; and Kirsten Fisher of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
If you’ve ever wondered why we should be committed to investing in education—why we should be finding ways to better compensate teachers for their hard work and dedication to children—then listen in to the responses of these four young people.
4 Questions For Future Educators (And to Ask Ourselves)
In our time together I asked the following:
1. Who is someone that has motivated you in your plans to become an educator?
2. What are some of the biggest dreams you would like to see fulfilled in your future as an educator?
3. What are some of your biggest concerns or fears about the future of education?
4. Any suggestion or advice for educational influencers or leaders?
I think you’ll find their responses a good reminder of why your work in education still matters, and why it’s important that we consistently ask these questions to ourselves, our teams, and those who influence policies that affect our schools.
Now It’s Your Turn
How would you respond to these four questions? Share them with others on your own team and see what kind of collaboration or perspective they provide in your service to students.
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