The first of more than 180 high school students visited Emporia State University this week for the Kansas Future Teachers Academy 2024.
The Kansas Future Teacher Academy at Emporia State University is funded through the Kansas Legislature and sponsored by The Teachers College. Since its inception more than 30 years ago, KFTA has served more than 1,200 high school students from across the state.
The academy is a five-day program where participants join educators and education stakeholders in educational activities, discussions and more to help students better understand what it means to be a teacher, whether they are suitable for the profession and how prepare for a future teaching career.
“At Kansas Future Teacher Academy we really focus on social-emotional learning, project-based learning, active engagement and how to build an inclusive and immersive classroom,” said KFTA Director Todd Roberts. “So, we bring in a lot of Teacher of the Year candidates, Teacher of the Year winners for the state of Kansas and they are coming back to our students.”
Roberts said four former academy students also returned this year as interns to help manage KFTA’s social media.
The program was organized as a conference, and students chose which speakers or topics interested them most.
On Friday, students presented their final projects, which focused on many ways to be a great teacher, from understanding social-emotional learning to meeting a child where they are and learning to see a problem from multiple perspectives.
Kaylee Hembree of Pratt, Aleah Weaver of Council Grove and Dawson Peak of Girard were discussing their project, which focused on “fighting trauma with doses of joy.”
“Trauma is the result of disturbing experiences that can have short- or long-term effects. “Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt as you experience new things, and stress, which is very common in the school environment, is the mental tension that arises from difficult situations,” Weaver said.
Hembree said your brain never stops learning. In fact, it constantly changes based on experiences and exchanges of information inside and outside the classroom.
“When it comes to trauma, the prefrontal cortex, or the part (of the brain) that makes decisions, is affected by not being able to function properly. “It affects learning, memory, and emotion regulation,” he said. “In children, running away, fighting or freezing is a common experience when there is stress in the classroom.”
“Dose” of joy, Weaver explained, means dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins.
“By creating a safe environment or environment in the classroom, serotonin increases. Attitudes do matter when you are a teacher. Starting a class with something that students can relate to can also increase dopamine levels,” Weaver said.
When faced with a student who is physically aggressive in class due to trauma experienced at home, Weaver said it is important to find a good mix of discipline and empathy.
“It’s very important to have consequences for that student because it’s not okay to act violently, but it’s also very important to connect with that student on a personal level,” she suggested. “Take him to a separate area and talk to him and try to see why he is misbehaving. Simply showing the student that you care could help.”
Roberts said it’s amazing to see the considerations that younger generations of future teachers make during the academy.
“Everyone wants these kids to succeed and what they are learning and what they are going through is different. Stress is different,” Roberts said. “So how can we help them become great teachers and help them be successful in their own classroom?”
Over the past three years, KFTA has grown exponentially, going from 60 students in 2022 to 160 this year. Selected students who have already completed the academy will also be invited to return for another more intensive five-day program next year.
And the program works. Roberts said that of the students who attended the 2022 summer academy, 75% began pursuing degrees in education.
“A lot of them who are not in education are still in human services fields, so we have some who want to do counseling, some who want to do social work, who want to do nursing,” Roberts said.
Another session of the Kansas Future Teachers Academy will be held July 15-19, although applications for the 2024 sessions are closed.
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