The Careers in Education panel was held at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC), where students had the opportunity to ask the eight panelists questions concerning their careers in education.
All eight of the panelists: Erin-Caitlin Rinker ‘03, Lisa Stroup ‘98, Heather Andring ‘15, Brandie Glessner ‘02, Jennifer Ferrell ‘05, Danelle Conner ‘14, Ashley Ryder ‘16 and Jenn Freemont ‘22, are IUP alumni who have a career related to education.
Students gathered in room B-34 of the Stabley Library to attend the panel from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The panelists attended via Zoom, as well as some students.
What the panelists favored about their current position was the first question asked by a student.
“I love the ability to advocate for the students I work with,” said Rinker, an elementary school counselor. “Being an advocate is something that is both a personal and professional love of mine.”
Rinker further added to her love and value for diversity and mentioned that the school she works for is very diverse and has 45 different languages spoken by the families of children who attend.
Other panelists added that they really enjoy that every day they work is different from the last, supporting students, and some mentioned that they enjoy the flexibility that goes along with their roles as educators.
Another student asked the panelists how they see technology impacting and changing the work they currently do.
Glessner, a secondary instructor for Brevard Virtual School, uses technology every day to get work done. She mentioned that one challenge she faces with using technology for work has been students’ access to artificial intelligence (AI).
“It’s really important to me that I am seeing an accurate assessment of what a student knows when they submit work to me,” said Glessner. “It’s part and parcel of what I do every day, but it’s also constantly changing and evolving; you just have to go with it and find the best way to use it.”
Additional panelists expanded on the AI conversation by talking about how, when used appropriately, AI can be a tool.
The panelists who work with young children emphasized the importance of their students learning to be responsible with technology since it is being used in classrooms.
Jeremy Risinger, Assistant Director of Academic and Career Success, also asked a question about what led the panelists to decide to go on and receive further education and when they knew they wanted to pursue more education.
The panelists spoke about what drove them to continue their schooling, like their career goals, encouragement from their families, and motivation that came from faculty members.
“I think a lot of times when you think of education, you really are thinking of just being a teacher in an elementary school or high school. As you can see from all these panelists and the wonderful careers we all have, there are so many opportunities for that,” said Freemont, Associate Director for Lehigh University’s Center for Career and Professional Development.
Freemont furthered on to discuss her experience in IUP’s Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) program, which allowed her to continue moving forward.
The final question that the panelists answered was what advice they would give to someone who wants to get a career in education.
Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Flagler College, Ryder, said, “Be willing to be flexible and to re-evaluate your teaching as something we have to be mindful and cautious of.”
The panelists all agreed that being adaptable and flexible is a big part of what they do, as well as being comfortable with trying new things and the failures that come with it.
It was added that having a career in education can also involve learning from your own students and how that can make someone in the education field a better teacher.
The panel ended with the panelists encouraging students to demonstrate leadership and to not be afraid of taking risks.
The CPDC will be hosting their next panel, Careers in Healthcare, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, which will also be held in room B-34 of the Stabley Library at 5:15 p.m.