Introduction to Education class lets students become teachers
February 23, 2022
Introduction to Education is a concurrent class currently being offered at OHS to students. It is a class where students are able to go to different educational sites and learn about what it is like to teach other students. This class gives students the opportunity to explore teaching and experience the teacher-side of a classroom. Students in the class are given the opportunity to delve into the various fields in the education field and learn more about them. Students spend part of the week at OHS in a classroom learning about the history of education systems, learning theories and key components of education.
The course begins with students learning about their strengths and abilities as well as the roles and responsibilities of quality and effective teachers. For the other part of the week, students are able to get field experience by observing and participating in a teacher’s classroom. By the end of the course, students plan and teach a full lesson to their class. Introduction to Education is a concurrent enrollment offering through Minnesota State University Mankato, so students who are eligible are able to earn three college credits.
This course is benefiting students in many ways. Positive outcomes are seen by teachers as well as directly from students who have taken the course. Ms. Katie Coudron, who teaches the Introduction to Education course, said, “I think Introduction to Education absolutely benefits OHS students because it allows those curious about the education field to explore a variety of options and get hands-on experience.” Coudron has seen students benefit greatly from it whether they plan to go into the teaching profession or not. She said, “For many students, it confirms their desire to be a teacher. For others, who may not decide to pursue teaching, it gives them a new respect for the roles and responsibilities of educators and builds skills that they will be able to use in whatever career field they pursue.” Through this class, students are able to gain life-long skills that will help better their future.
The class has also received positive feedback from students who took it. Students love the hands-on experience and the new abilities they gain. Junior Katlyn Schubert said, “I loved the classroom experience. We would learn about stuff in the classroom and then in the field we were able to see it implemented and were able to take away from all of our learnings.” Students who take the course gain a myriad of skills and knowledge that they are able to put to use in real classrooms.
Overall, Introduction to Education has been a great new offering at OHS. Students have benefited greatly from taking the course as they are able to get a direct look into the real world. Whether they plan to go into the teaching profession or not, they are able to learn valuable life skills. The course also gives students the opportunity to learn about other roles that exist in the education field, such as social workers, administrators and school counselors. For many, this gives them the desire to teach even more than they did before, and others may just enjoy the experience of learning about what goes into being a successful educator. When registering for classes students can sign up for this class. This course is located in the Health Science and Human Services pathway in the OHS registration guide. If a student’s GPA meets requirements for college credit then they can earn credit from taking the class at the high school.
