Career Exploration Opportunities Showcased for Future Teachers
November 25, 2024
Chester Asher, Dr. Basiyr Rodney and Dr. Stephanie Mahfood
On Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024, Webster’s School of Education (SOE) hosted an event to welcome 18 students from Next Prep, a post-secondary readiness initiative of The Opportunity Trust. Next Prep is reimagining how high schools, higher education institutions and employers prepare high school students for post-secondary education and career.
Basiyr Rodney, Professor and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education, shared his first encounter
with students from Next Prep, and said “I met Next Prep students last year at one
of their career exploration workshops. It was delightful to learn that quite a few
of them wanted to become teachers. I invited them to visit our campus so we could
show them how we teach and prepare teachers.”
On the day of the visit, the SOE designed a program around the concept of “team teaching.”
Rodney explained that he wanted the students to understand that teachers are not teaching
alone, rather they are in community with each other.
Students were introduced to a team of experts who led discussions on multiple topics
using multiple class activities such as practicing classroom management with a virtual
simulation and posing critical questions to a panel of the SOE’s stakeholders.
Chester Asher, co-founder of Ali Academy, served as a panel member. Reflecting on
the experience of the event, Asher noted that it was the unique space to “share with
high school students what pursuing a career in education could look like and the potential
impact they can have on students, families and communities. It is always amazing when
students start to realize that school is a tool for accomplishing significant achievements
in their lives.”
The students also confirmed that they left the visit with a stronger understanding
of the careers available in the world of teaching and learning. According to the post-visit
survey conducted by Next Prep, a few notable quotations were:
"There is more to being a teacher than just teaching." "Webster is a good opportunity for teachers. It can help them to grow." "Careers in education have many benefits."
In response to this initial visit, Next Prep has requested a continuing partnership
with Webster University. In an email after the event, Riley Foster, Next Prep Program Director, extended an invite to Webster’s experts for Next Prep's upcoming
“public policy, and social service career exploration workshops for Ninth grade students.”
Rodney and the SOE faculty and staff are thrilled to have opened doors to this new
partnership.
