February 19, 2024 – Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools students interested in pursuing careers in education spent last Thursday conversing with experts in the field during the district’s first Aspiring Teachers Day.
Dozens of students from WS/FCS high schools came to the Education Building on Thursday morning to speak with WS/FCS teachers and administrators, instructors from nearby universities, and college students currently pursuing degrees in education. There were one-on-ne conversations about specific details of the teacher’s journey, panel discussions centered on common questions burgeoning educators have, and informational handouts that can illuminate the next steps for aspiring teachers. The goal of the session was to find WS/FCS students who see themselves becoming teachers once they graduate and give them as much clarity as possible on how to achieve their goals.
“Any time we can remove barriers and increase access for our students, we should,” said Executive Director of Professional Learning Dr. Tina Lupton. “We want to give them all the tools they need to succeed.”
Teaching is a complicated career, equal parts rewarding and demanding. The educators who contributed to the panel explained many ways in which good teachers have to work beyond their job description, constantly innovating to create more engaging lessons, seeking guidance from other educators, and never losing sight of the passion for student success that makes the hardest days worthwhile. They also explained the importance of a good collegiate program to prepare an aspiring teacher for their future, specifically how enlightening a student-teaching position can be.
“One of the very first things you need to learn as an educator is to understand how kids think about any ideas that they come into contact with,” said Dr. Kerri Richardson from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. “We want you, in conjunction with your coursework, to be out there in the schools.”
WS/FCS wants every student to have every available resource at their disposal to achieve their dreams after graduation. For students who want to work in education, the district is in a unique position to give them detailed and practical advice to guide their development, and events like Aspiring Teachers Day maximize the value of that position. It’s an investment in student success that has the potential to echo for generations to come.
“This is our future, this is our pipeline, and this is how we make sure that good teaching talent stays right here,” Superintendent Tricia McManus said.
The district’s investment in passionate teachers was fully on display at Aspiring Teachers Day, as many students left more confident than ever that education is their calling in life, due in no small part to the enthusiasm that the district’s own faculty showed off.
“Something today that made me even more sure was how the teachers talk about it so passionately,” said East Forsyth High School Senior Jessalyn Hendrix. “They