Educators Rising is a club made to prepare aspiring education students for a possible future career in teaching. As members of Educators Rising, students go to elementary and middle schools in the morning before coming to the building to help assist educators in teaching their class.
Bulldogs who wish to become educators have the opportunity to get fieldwork experience through this club and recognize what a possible future in teaching might look like early in their educational journey.
“If you’re planning to become a teacher, it’s helpful to see what your skills are,” junior Cady Ward said. “For me, I’m a better kindergarten teacher. I’m more fun and relaxed, and kindergarteners don’t need to have a super strict teacher. It just helps to see what your strong suits and what your weaknesses are.”
All grades of high schoolers are able to teach elementary students ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade. As a highschool student moves up in grade, the elementary grade they can teach goes up as well. This helps students to better understand which grade level they are most interested in pursuing in the future.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher or another career that helps other people, just because not everybody has that aspiration,” senior Ryan Janaske said. “I guess that’s kind of like my gift. I like helping people, so there’s never been a question of not doing it in the future.”
Janaske is one of many students who aim to serve the community around them, and Ed Rising serves as an outlet for students looking at careers in service.
“When I signed up for educators rising, it was just because I needed an extracurricular,” Ward said. “ And I’ll be honest, at that point, I really did not like kids. But Educators Rising has definitely influenced me to want to become a teacher and helped me to learn that I had a strong suit in it.”
Educators Rising helps students who are struggling to decide on a future career to acknowledge their transferable skills, which they can apply to the program.
“I would say I have patience and positivity,” junior Sarah Micklewhite said. “Patience is key when you’re working with kids.”
In addition to Micklewhite, other students have noticed how their Educators Rising journey encourages skills like patience to become an incredible future educator. The program helps offer a change in perspective to high school students from their former elementary school years.
“When I was in elementary school, whenever high schoolers would be in the school, I’d be like, ‘Oh, wow, so grown up,’ and I’d look up to them,”Janaske said. “So, I definitely like being that person to the kids now, because they’ll remember that. And maybe they will join educators rising when they come here.”
Educators Rising is useful for students who enjoy feeling like they can be a high school role model for younger students in the community. It is a great resource for inspiring students to continue investing in their and other students’ education.
“Educators Rising is a positive experience, because the kids have such a bright energy that makes you happy,” junior Kasie Robinson said. “It’s fun to see them grow because they learn so much from you as a teacher.”
