The 8th Annual Future
Educators’ Forum included three breakout sessions, an MSCC campus tour, a
keynote address by Tamika Jordan, Curriculum Technologist from Avondale
Elementary School (Marion K-1), door prizes, and event T-shirts
“We had a good turnout again,”
said Lori (Payne) Forrester, MSCC faculty member and Lead Instructor in the
education program at the college who established the event. “It was fun, and
the students really enjoyed it."
In addition to providing the
keynote address, Jordan, served as a breakout presenter of “The Character of a
Teacher.” Takelia Carter, a fourth-grade teacher at Richland
Elementary and an MSCC graduate, shared “Stories from the Classroom,” and Elmer
West, principal at Marion Junior High, addressed “What Principals Look for When
Hiring."
“As always, we had great
breakout sessions and great speakers,” Forrester said. “Tamika is just awesome,
and Takelia loves kids and loves her job. Mr. West did an excellent job telling
students what to expect and how to prepare for a teaching interview.”
Jordan started her breakout
session by asking about the career aspirations of her group. One of the
students said she wanted to teach third grade.
“Third grade is awesome,”
Jordan said. “From kindergarten to second grade, they think you know everything
because they don’t know much, and they love you.”
“Third grade is where they
learn a few things and think they know stuff. But they still love you, and
they’re independent. They can do things on their own.”
Jordan said teaching doesn’t
always go according to a specific plan. She said classroom leaders must be able
to adjust quickly.
“As a teacher, you have to be
really flexible and think on the fly. You always have to have a plan B, C, D,
E, F, G, and all the way to Z because you never know what will happen.”
Carter said one of her favorite
parts of teaching is the “fan mail.”
“It just goes on and on,” she
said as she showed a stack of encouraging notes from her students. “You get
this all the time, and it just does your heart good to know that what you’re
doing really means something to somebody else.”
“It looks like it’s no big
deal, but sometimes you have a
rough day, and it makes you feel good to know someone’s thinking about you. I
love doing what I do because even on a rough day, you’re still able to touch
someone’s heart.”
Carter credited MSCC with
helping her realize a lifelong dream.
“Coming to MSCC… was just what
I needed at that time of my life. MSCC is big enough and small enough to give
you just what you need. This is a terrific option.”
West told students that wearing
proper attire and asking questions make a good impression on an interviewer.
“Guys, you cannot go wrong
wearing a coat and tie to an interview. You can go wrong wearing a pullover
shirt. Ladies, you cannot go wrong dressing professionally for an interview.
You can go wrong with an old T-shirt and a pair of pants.”
“You need to ask questions,”
West continued. “You may know everything you need to know about the school
where you’re interviewing, but ask some questions anyway. I see the interview
as a two-way process. I’m interviewing you, but you need to be interviewing me,
too.”
He also pointed out that most
people who hire teachers have completed a fair amount of background work before
any interview.
“I’ve probably already done a
bunch of research on you before you ever get there,” West said. “I’ve already
looked at your Facebook page if you have one. I’ve already searched your name
on the Internet. I’ve already talked to anybody I can find who might know you
who’s not on your list as a reference.”
“I will eventually talk with
references that you provide as well, but I’m looking to try to find out who you
are. It’s important to me to know who are because I want to be successful, and
I want the person I hire to be successful.”
Students
from West Memphis High School, Marion High School, and Trumann High School
registered to participate in the forum.
Forrester said a recent
cooperative agreement with MHS has generated additional interest from Marion
students.
“Marion always brings a big
group, and this year we also have a Teacher Cadet Program partnership with
them,” she said. “High school students in that class will get college credit
(for Introduction to Education) if they enroll at MSCC to be part of the
teacher education program.”
“They have field experiences
just like our college students do, and the course content aligns with what we
provide.”
Thanks to MSCC’s ongoing
partnership with Arkansas State University and its upcoming merger with the ASU
System, area students will continue to have the opportunity to earn a teaching
degree without leaving Crittenden County.
“It’s two years with MSCC and
two years with ASU, but you still take everything on our campus,” Forrester
said. “This is a wonderful opportunity because MSCC is a great place to be.”
For more information about
teacher education or other academic programs at Mid-South Community College,
please call (870) 733-6728 or visit the campus at 2000 West Broadway in West
Memphis. Info is also available be emailing admissions@midsouthcc.edu or by
accessing the website at www.midsouthcc.edu.
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