Some students are still trying to figure out the type of career they want to have after high school. But to junior Jenay Pressly, the choice is clear: teaching. Pressly, who is a student in the education training class and a member of Plano’s TAFE/kids club, said she wants to go on to teach special education for elementary kids or high school Spanish. Pressly attributes her long-time desire to teach to one of her past teachers, and also to the experiences she got through a school program while she was in middle school.
“In seventh grade, I had the best math teacher in the world, Mrs. Lin,” Pressly said. “She really made learning fun and I have always wanted to be just like her. In eighth grade, I was a part of the H.O.P.E program at Rice Middle School. This program worked with special education students, and it made me fall in love with helping others and helping students become the best they can be.”
Since coming to Plano, Pressly has enjoyed working in the education training class, especially with teacher Patricia Koslan.
“My favorite thing about the education and training class is the fact that we have the opportunity every Monday and Tuesday to go to an elementary school or the preschool and work with kids,” Pressly said. “It’s a really great experience for anyone who wants to be a teacher. The class, so far, has taught me so much. Mrs. Koslan is a great teacher and I thank her so much for this.”
Education training teacher Koslan also stressed the experiences students in her classes receive.
“I think it’s an excellent experience because they actually get to be in a real classroom and see what teachers do on a day to day basis,” Koslan said. “That way, they can decide if that’s really what they want to do or not. Plus, it gives them an advantage because they have tons of experiences that other people in college don’t have. They haven’t been in a classroom until they do their observations and student teaching.”
Koslan also discussed how Pressly is working towards her goals within the classroom.
“She’s interested. She likes to enter into discussions and she has very good questions about why children act the way they do and solutions to behavior problems,” Koslan said. “I think her work ethic is very good and that this is a great way to start in the first step towards the pursuit of her career.”
Koslan said that although she is a bit biased, she thinks teaching is a great career to get into.
“I think it’s a wonderful profession,” Koslan said. “We aren’t in the field to get rich, we’re in it because we care about children and we want them to become the best they can be. So, we need people who are caring and sensitive and really want to work with children and help them be successful.”
As she works towards her goal of becoming a teacher, Pressly looks toward helping kids to learn and grow in her future classroom.
“I look forward to teaching because I am excited to help kids learn, not only about school curriculum, but learn about life and figure out who they are,” Pressly said. “I look forward to helping lead them on the right path for life. I want to leave an impression on students so they feel like they can always have someone to talk to them when no one else is there. When I become a teacher I want students to remember me 10 or 20 years later as their “favorite” teacher or just someone who helped them through a tough time or taught them something important. I look forward to making learning fun for young children and for them to want to come to school.”