Future Teachers of America (FTA) sets out to prepare students, future educators, for the classroom. FTA members are in charge of many things; such as, the conduction of Grandparents Day, Teacher Appreciation Month, and Teacher of the Month. FTA is sponsored by both Nicole Kisling, and Beth Mauldin. As well as serving and appreciating the staff at Fair Grove High School; one day a year, FTA members have the opportunity to job shadow one teacher of their choice.

On Thursday, January 17th, juniors and seniors, that had participated in at least three FTA activities beforehand, had the chance to job shadow one facility member. Nicole Kisling, sponsor of FTA, stated, “It’s important our FTA members see a regular day of a teacher; the goal is really to see if teaching is for them or not,” and, “since the students got to pick who they job shadowed and what grade they worked with, it really showed the students what being an educator in that field would be like.”

Harley Maxwell (Senior) job shadowed Jenny Talbert. “I job shadowed her because I want to be a teacher and coach, and wanted to see what it’s like to have both of those responsibilities each day,” said Harley Maxwell.

Harley learned that being a teacher requires a lot of patience and an able understanding of the students you work with. After job shadowing she  learned that she really enjoys being around kids and helping them, and will now highly consider becoming a teacher as her future career.

FTA members, who job shadowed, all experienced what being an educator is like for one day. The goal of job shadowing is to expose students to what their future might consist of. “Job shadowing is important because you are actually there in the classroom watching someone do what you would do if you chose that as your career; you get to see what being a teacher takes,” said Senior Cydney Fullerton.