MUW aims to cultivate next generation of teachers

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The number of people pursuing a career in education has declined, but Mississippi University for Women wanted to fix that. Assistant Professor of Education Hope Durst said she hoped this event inspired students to want to teach.

“Today we are hosting the second annual Future Teacher Day here on the campus of MUW where we have invited area schools and students who have expressed an interest in education to come spend the day on campus with us and our staff and faculty in our buildings, be in our classrooms, be on our campus and have a whole day where they can learn about the support that is very with MUW, ” said Durst.

Durst also said she hopes the future teacher day showed students what it is like to be a teacher.

“This benefits high school students because it helps them see themselves as not only college students here at the W but also future educators. As we all know, education is a shrinking program, and we want to help that pipeline by empowering students to go into education programs and to earn their degree in education so that we can fill classrooms with qualified teachers,” said Durst.

Two local high school students said this event gave them knowledge of their future in the classroom.

“It was super helpful, I looked at my agenda and we are going to get to walk in different classrooms and get to experiment and this shows what subject you want to teach, and it helps you learn what age group you want to get into,” said Maddie Parker, a Noxapater High School senior.

“Definitely the experience. Seeing the classrooms and seeing the behind-the-scenes of an everyday teacher and what goes into that,” said Kaliyah Moore, a Noxapater High School Senior.

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