At the UA’s Future Teachers Club, students get educated on potential careers in education.
The club, which is recognized by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, aims to inform UA students about possible job opportunities in teaching and also provides education workshops and meetings to those who are interested in gaining a better understanding of the field.
“It’s a great experience,” said Chava Lederman, an elementary education junior and president of the club. “It’s a club that gives students the chance to meet people who have similar interests and goals in teaching to come together.”
Over the semester, the club has been involved in a variety of education projects around campus and in the Tucson community, including beginning a food drive in schools throughout the Tucson Unified School District and raising money during the UA’s Homecoming to provide school supplies for a recent UA graduate who is a first-time teacher at an elementary school.
“She is working in a school that doesn’t really have the funds necessary to purchase all the supplies that are needed for her classroom,” Lederman said. “It’s definitely great to help out with that.”
The club meets every other Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the College of Education, Room 257, where members typically have guest speakers from the teaching community come to talk to UA students. The next meeting is scheduled today where they will be talking about how to incorporate multiple religious and cultural holidays in the classroom.
“Generally in meetings we try to have topics presented that future teachers can use in their classroom, and techniques they can have to get hired” Lederman said. “This one in particular is going to show us how not to be biased when talking about particular holidays.”
Projects the club will work on this spring semester include helping out with Tucson High School’s prom and creating care packages for U.S. soldiers deployed overseas with children in elementary school.
“It’s a good feeling helping out with something like this because I personally know people who are serving which makes it extra special to share that with the kids,” said Bailey Frahm, an elementary education junior and vice president of the club.
The club is open to all students. Lederman said some of their club members come from a variety of majors who are looking into teaching after college.
“It’s a pretty diverse group of people,” Lederman said. “Since the secondary education major was cut a few years ago, a lot of want-to-be high school teachers are members in the club.”
Next semester, the club plans to expand more of its projects and services into the community.
“What we really missed out on last year was community service so this is our major focus this semester,” Frahm said. “We want to be the kind of teachers in the future that college students look up to.”
