COOKEVILLE – Those looking to make an impact in their community by teaching can learn how to do just that by attending a meeting on Tennessee Tech’s campus at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 27, in TJ Farr room 108.
“This is part of a new initiative tied into the university’s grand challenge, Rural Reimagined,” said Lisa Zagumny, dean of the College of Education.
The College of Education’s initiative is called R3EAL: Reinventing and Reimagining Rural Education and Access for Life. R3EAL targets those counties identified as distressed by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
During the June 27 meeting, participants will learn about the steps to transition into a new teaching career.
“There are many pathways to get to licensure,” said Julie Baker, associate dean of the College of Education. “There’s the job embedded pathway, which allows people to work on the program while teaching and earning a graduate degree. There are also ways to achieve additional endorsements for those already in the teaching field, and the traditional post-bachelor’s pathway that includes a residency with one of our 50+ partner school districts across the state.”
Participants will also hear about what goes on in a day in the life of a teacher and learn how teaching can make a difference in the community.
The post-bachelor’s pathway is a 50-hour program where people who already have a bachelor’s degree can take courses to earn a master’s degree, complete residency and attain licensure. The College of Education also offers Education Specialist degrees.
“We graduate the most teachers of any university in the state,” Zagumny said. “We also offer the widest variety of education programs in the state.”
Over the last three years, Putnam County Schools hired 70 new Tech graduates, while Knox County’s school system hired 54, Hamilton County 46 and Cumberland County 40.
“Teachers make a difference in not only the lives of the children they teach but the families of those children and the community,” Zagumny said. “It’s rewarding to see the impact teachers have on their students which is not limited to academic learning.”
For more information about a career in teaching, email Geri Anna Alcorn at galcorn@tntech.edu or call 931-372-3124.
