Few students leave high school with a perfectly clear idea of where they’d like to work in the next several years.
Some in Glynn County, though, have put in the groundwork during high school to know what their future careers may look like.
Through a high school pathway called “Teaching as a Profession,” students are able to work directly with teachers in elementary and middle schools and experience class from the perspective of both student and teacher.
Glynn Academy celebrated four seniors Tuesday who have completed that pathway and announced their plans to pursue careers in education. This year’s Future Teacher Signing Ceremony looked a little different than in past years, though.
The ceremony’s organizers asked each student to come in separately at staggered times over two hours. The students signed letters stating their plans, posed for photos and received gifts from their teachers.
GA staff wanted to ensure the students were celebrated, despite challenges presented by COVID-19, said Cindy Perry, the pathway instructor.
“The seniors have just missed out on so much, and we have such a small number that have been in the teaching program here at the high school,” Perry said. “… These kids that have just finished up 12 or 13 years of education are saying, ‘I want to do this for a living.’”
To complete the Teaching as a Profession pathway, the students took three courses. By the third course, students are spending most of their class time in elementary and middle school classes, observing and assisting local teachers.
The four students celebrated Tuesday intend to major in education at College of Coastal Georgia. These kind of full-circle relationships benefit both the students and local schools, Perry said.
“All of these students are attending the local college, and with them staying in Glynn County, they have the ability to come back after they receive more education,” she said. “They’re dedicated to the community at that point. They want to do great things and make changes where they grew up.”