Student Shelbye Newton talks with students about what it takes to earn a degree and become a teacher. OBU photo by Sophia Stanley.
Students Help Others “Discover Teaching”
March 24, 2016
A large crowd of Pottawatomie County high school students gathered for the inaugural “Discover Teaching” event, coordinated by OBU, Citizen Pottawatami Nation, St. Gregory’s University and Seminole State College. Firelake Arena in Shawnee hosted the event Wednesday morning, March 23.
“The OBU Education Advisory Council came up with the idea to create an event designed to offer compelling reasons for students to consider a career in teaching,” said Dr. Pam Robinson, dean of the OBU College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Robinson initiated the advisory council last fall to help assist the teacher education program in staying on top of current education practices.
“There is a shortage of teachers in general and a critical shortage of mathematics, science and special education teachers,” she said. “Regardless of the current state of education, we need good teachers.”
At the event, 2013 Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year Elaine Hutchison spoke to students. Hutchison, a fourth-generation teacher, spoke about the impact teachers have on society.
“Even though teaching was modeled for me within my family, it was a huge thing inside my school to see teachers working very hard to help me be successful,” Hutchison said.
OBU education students Shelbye Newton and Abby Packwood led a discussion with high school students about what drove them to pursue a degree in teaching. They walked students through the education degree process and took time to answer questions. More than 175 local high school students attended the event.