Senior McKinley McKissack thoroughly enjoyed the experiences she had while taking Intro to Education and Education Technology. In these classes, she has had the opportunity to leave campus during school and help teach students in elementary and middle school to prepare her for her future career. She has loved leaving campus to interact with younger students and loves how the class focused on fun projects and presentations rather than tests and lectures. She not only enjoys the interactions she has with the kids, but she gets many benefits that will follow her into her college career. “I’ve always been passionate about working with people. When my counselor told me about the education classes and mentioned I could get college credit I was sure that those were the classes for me,” McKissack says.
One of her favorite memories in her Intro to Education and Education Technology was when she got to talk or write on the board. McKinley said, “It’s difficult to choose a favorite memory from my field experience but I truly loved it when anytime my field experience teacher had me get up and talk or write on the board and all of the students would cheer for me.” Intro to Education gave McKinley so many opportunities to get out of her comfort zone and make an impact on children’s lives. “A piece of advice I would share with someone interested in taking these courses is to dive in. Don’t be shy even if it doesn’t go the way you expect. The best memories in life are when things don’t go the way you expected. Even if you aren’t interested in teaching, these classes are fun and interactive,” McKissack said. She has loved getting to spread her bright, bubbly, and encouraging personality with these younger students. McKissack looks forward to it weekly. “It was truly such a blessing to be able to contribute to their education and pour into their lives. They often would run up to me in excitement just to tell me about their day. I have loved these classes and I highly recommend them!” she said.
McKinley’s passion for education shines through her enthusiasm for taking the Into to Education classes and she will continue to make an impact in people’s lives throughout her career.