November 16, 2022

What better way to learn about a career in education than to work each day with teachers?

That’s the unique opportunity Fairview High School students have with Educators Rising, a one-year class offered to students interested in the education profession. The course is open to all students at FHS.

“Often we hear kids say they’d love to be a teacher,” Meghan Hignite, FHS history teacher, and teacher of the Educators Rising program explained. “But, then it falls by the wayside because they don’t actually learn about the reality of it, or they don’t get the opportunity to tutor other kids. The ultimate goal is to give them a nice picture of what the job is all about and if they feel that’s the right route for them.”

Students spend the first part of the program learning about education in general, including the science of learning and different philosophies.

“There are a lot of different theories and styles, so I present those to them and have them pick what kind of leader they want to be in their classroom,” Hignite stated. “What have they liked about teachers they’ve had that they want to emulate? And, also, what do they not want to do? And that’s really their starting off point.”

Students in Educators Rising observe teachers at Mayer Middle School to help solidify these concepts, an experience that the students have enjoyed.

“The teacher that I shadowed I had last year, and taught eighth-grade advanced Algebra,” Luella, a sophomore explained. “It was interesting to see her perspective on teaching, especially after having her last year, and how she helps the students succeed.”

“I had Ms. Chambers, and the way she interacts with her students, I really like how she kept them engaged,” Grace, a senior expressed. “She would have people call out or talk amongst each other like peer work. I thought that was really nice to have in the classroom.”

“Throughout my class, they were filling out a worksheet, and the teacher would call on them,” Ella, a sophomore said. “I also pulled up my paper from when I was in sixth grade because I still had it. I would help some of the students if they needed help.”

Educators Rising allows students also to create their own lesson unit in the class, and students will travel to Baldwin-Wallace University to learn from college professors and education majors about their experiences.

“The final big unit is where they create a whole unit for their classroom,” Hignite expressed. “They all have different interests in what level or subject or level they are interested in. And then I want them actually to do that unit. They might not be able actually to do that in a classroom, but at least maybe with us.”

Although this cohort of students is still in the first semester, what they have learned about teaching has been inspirational and eye-opening.

“It’s really a ground-level introduction as to what teaching is,” Joseph, a sophomore explained. “I’ve really wanted to be a teacher for years now, and it’s something that I’m really interested in. I’m looking forward to learning more about it.”

“Some material is new to you, and you didn’t learn it fully when you were in school,” Connor, a sophomore added. “You can learn it when you’re developing as a teacher, too. So, you’re learning as you’re teaching your students.”

“It’s cool to have them still be high school students and be able to also reflect on their high school classes,” Hignite said. “I’ve seen them be a little more open to a teacher’s style that maybe they were more resistant to before. So if you’re interested in teaching or you’ve ever been interested, this [class] will give you an idea of what the career field is all about.”