Columbia State Community College recently hosted two events with high school students from southern Middle Tennessee where aspiring teachers received vital information about careers in education.

Students from several local high schools, including those in Maury, Williamson and Lawrence counties, saw presentations about the education program offerings at Columbia State followed by a tour of their nearby campuses in Franklin and Columbia.

Columbia State degree paths discussed in the presentations included:

Associate of Science in Teaching:

Early Childhood Education (Pre K-3)

Elementary Education (K-5)

Secondary Education:

English

Mathematics

Social Studies

Special Education

Associate of Science:

Physical Education

The presentations offered details about each degree requirement and what students can do while still in high school to successfully prepare for their next step in education.

“I need you to be active in high school,” said Kirstin Senske, Columbia State program director and associate professor of education. “I need you to be in clubs, I need you to do service projects — all of those things look really great on your teacher resume. I also need you to get good grades, and I need you to get a 21 or higher on your ACT.”

The events featured conversations from active teachers, school principals and current students in Columbia State’s education program. This offered a true picture into the working life of educators, as well as what the college course load for education students looks like.

One of the many topics discussed centered around the best characteristics for a teacher to have in the classroom.

“I think one of the most important traits to have is flexibility and adaptability, because you never know what you're going to walk into,” said Maty White, a fifth-grade math teacher. “You’ve always got to be quick on your feet to be able to switch gears, which was something that I was never really good at until I became a teacher and was thrown into it, and you just had to figure it out.”

“One of the most important things is just being fully committed to students and remembering your why if you decide to go into education,” said Amanda Fuller, an elementary school principal. “Every kid in your classroom is somebody's world, just like your parents have felt about you through your education. And so, coming in every day, knowing that the job can be hard at times, but it's also extremely rewarding.”

Offering a real picture of being a teacher in the modern workforce was also a priority.

“Being a teacher is hard work,” Fuller said. “And I think a lot of times people talk about, ‘Oh, you have summers off, and you get the holidays.’ Those things are true, and those are perks that are really nice, but it is hard. It is hard work, but it is also so rewarding, and you have an opportunity to really invest in the future for the next generation.”

Students who enroll in an associate degree program at Columbia State may also be eligible to participate in tuition-free scholarship programs such as Tennessee Promise or Tennessee Reconnect. The associate degree paths are for students who intend to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor's degree.

For more information on the education paths Columbia State offers, visit our website https://www.ColumbiaState.edu/Teaching.

To view more photos from the Williamson Campus event, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/columbiastatecc/albums/72177720321908384/.