Northern Kentucky University is helping to pique local high schoolers’ interest in becoming educators.
NKU held its Educators Rising conference on Nov. 22, with roughly 20 local high schools on campus to participate in various sessions. Those sessions included writing a lesson plan, American Sign Language and how to use AI as a teacher.
The conference is an effort to address the teacher shortage in the commonwealth. Last year, NKU had 220 students, and of them, 21% are currently studying education at NKU. Some are serving as panelists and helping at this year’s event.
The conference has expanded to 330 students this year.
Emilia Dye and Shelby Adkins, juniors at the Ignite Institute in Erlanger (a STEAM fields high school), attended the conference on Friday. They are both currently enrolled in the Ignite College of Education.
Both students are already receiving training toward their intended future career path in education. Adkins said they shadow a teacher at Caywood Elementary School in Edgewood every Tuesday and Thursday for about two and a half hours.
“So far, we have about 50 hours just from freshman and sophomore year field experience there,” Dye said.
The Ignite students said they have also observed classrooms in elementary, middle and high schools. They also do projects focused on lesson planning and self-improvement areas.
Dye said she originally applied to Ignites design college but was accepted to the education college. Now, she plans to combine her two passions and become an art teacher.
“Education has definitely grown on me,” Dye said. “I’ve figured out that I can still use my love for art and become an art teacher.”
Adkins said she was inspired to pursue a job in education from her second-grade teacher.
“She was such a good teacher and would help me when I struggled, and it really inspired me to be like her,” Adkins said. “Then it continued on my third, fourth, and fifth grade; I just had amazing teachers that made me want to become a teacher and have that same impact on children as they had on me.”
NKU College of Education Dean Ginni Fair said the conference’s growth comes from service-minded students and NKU’s efforts in working with local high schools.
“I think we really worked at it from both sides, building the profession and the interest in the profession, and working with high schools who are interested in developing clubs and those relationship-building activities, I think have been really powerful,” Fair said.
The conference drew students from schools locally, such as the Ignite Institute, Campbell County, Ludlow Independent, Boone County, and Conner, but it also drew students from counties like Bracken, Carroll, and Fayette.
Fair said the event helped to pique students’ curiosity as professionals.
“I think ultimately teachers are learners and are curious and think critically and creatively,” she said. “Getting the opportunity to be a professional is really inspiring and motivating, and I think that’s what this does. We know that there are some things that motivate teachers. One of those is having time in schools and clinical settings, and one of those is learning with other professionals.”
Adkins said she wants to pursue becoming a fifth-grade math teacher or kindergarten teacher, while Dye wants to become a secondary school art teacher.
