South Carolina continues to need more teachers.
Last year, districts across the state reported 1,613 vacancies at the start of the 2023-24 school year. This was a 9% increase compared to the previous year, according to the South Carolina Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement.
Greenville County Schools offers opportunities to help educate the next generation of future educators in the state including hosting the iTeach Conference for Future Educators. The 16th annual event was held at Roper Mountain Science Center on Sept. 5.
Rachel Turner, GCS Future Teacher Academy specialist, said this year’s conference was the biggest it has ever been with around 535 high school students from Greenville, Pickens, Oconee, Anderson and Spartanburg counties in attendance.
The conference offered opportunities for students to hear from experienced teachers including Jaheim President, the event’s keynote speaker and a teacher at Berea Middle School. Eighteen interactive workshops with hands-on learning opportunities were also available for students to learn teaching skills and strategies such as how to use technology in the classroom.
“The idea is that these students go in and get these skills, and then they take them back to the field where they’re working with teachers, and they get to try it with their own class,” Turner said.
Students also had the opportunity to talk with representatives from 15 colleges at the conference’s college fair. Information on different scholarship opportunities was available. Other activities at the conference included:
- Teacher table talks
- Photos with members of the GCS Board of Trustees
- Free books
- Brain breaks
- Yoga in the classroom
- Prize wheel
This year’s conference was held in conjunction with the district’s Future Teacher Academy, a three-tiered program designed for high school students interested in becoming educators. By completing the program, Future Educator Academy students can earn 12 hours of college credit from Clemson University and 150 hours of field placement work in a local school.
Elizabeth Alverson, a senior at Riverside High School, said the program has provided her with mentorship opportunities, professional development workshops and more. Alverson is a member of the Future Educators Academy leadership team.
“I’ve been given just so many cool things and resources to help me grow as a teacher at such a young age. So it really is awesome,” Alverson said.
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