Coe teacher education majors fill critical need across Iowa
In the midst of teacher shortages across the nation, Assistant Professor of Education Sarah Kress ’99 believes the future of teaching is bright.
“You know you’ve done a good job when you look at your students and think I would want my own kid in their classroom,” she said.
Recently COVID-19 has put an extra strain on teacher availability, so the need for subs has become critical. For the last several years, Kohawks studying teacher education have been substitute teaching in Iowa school districts following license requirement adjustments to help alleviate staffing shortages. And more Kohawks than ever before have heeded the call for help this school year.
With years of experience as an educator, administrator and Coe faculty member, Professor Kress has experienced a high demand in letter of recommendation requests from students eager to make a difference and learn from expertise in the field. These letters verify students are over 21 years of age and are enrolled in the teacher education program, a requirement to apply for an Iowa substitute teaching license.
The number of Coe students willing to step up and help shouldn’t be surprising — Coe is one of Washington Monthly’s top 100 liberal arts colleges, a list based on contributions to the public good.
Emily Klostermann ’22 is among the six Kohawks substitute teaching this year. She has been substitute teaching in Linn Mar, West Delaware and Maquoketa Valley school districts for the last several months.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to get some experience in the classroom and make some money. I also knew many schools in the area are struggling to find substitute teachers right now, and I wanted to help in any way I could,” Emily said.
Every Kohawk is guaranteed an internship, research or off-campus study opportunity. This is especially true for students in the teacher education program. Coe’s curriculum incorporates the five school districts surrounding Cedar Rapids as Kohawks accumulate 120 hours of classroom experience before they even student teach. With 65 total schools nearby, the future teachers are gaining confidence and reaffirming their interest in the field of education. Yet, Coe students who are substitute teaching are exceeding experience expectations in more ways than one.
“Substitute teaching has provided an opportunity for me to really apply what I have learned in the classroom. For example, we talk a lot about classroom management in class, but that can be hard to replicate in a college classroom…On the other hand, I can now take what I have learned in substitute teaching and apply that to what I am learning in class, which is really helpful,” Emily said.
The average class at Coe is comprised of 16 students to support engaging lectures, conversation and one-on-one attention from faculty. But, Kohawks substitute teaching are going completely solo for valuable real-world experience.
“In our field experience, students have a supervisor in the classroom when they student teach. But when they are subbing, they are leading those classrooms alone, so it is more experience with classroom management. Their confidence grows when they show themselves they can be leaders in the classroom and take charge,” Professor Kress added.
What started as a desire to help fill a crucial role in a time of need also is paying future professional dividends. For Emily, substitute teaching also has allowed her to explore different grade levels as an elementary education major pursuing a reading endorsement.
“It was very intimidating to put myself out there and try something new, but the more I did it and the more experience I built up, the more comfortable I felt walking into a new school or classroom. This hands-on experience has really helped prepare me for life after Coe,” she said.
Emily is set to student teach next fall — but is already getting noticed by employers. It’s not a surprise. For the past decade, nearly 100% of grads are employed or in graduate school within a year of graduation.
“This opportunity has allowed me to make so many connections to professionals in the field. At many of the schools I have subbed at, the principals have come up to me and asked me when I am graduating because they would be interested in offering me a job. I have also been able to network with a lot of teachers and start building relationships with people who I might someday work with,” Emily said.
Beyond watching Kohawks help fill a great need in Iowa, Professor Kress is simply proud to watch her Kohawks fly.
“I’m blown away with our students’ reflectiveness and resilience. They are both confident and humble. That makes for a phenomenal teacher and why I think the teaching profession is looking bright,” Professor Kress said.
Interested in the teacher education major? Schedule a visit to meet with an admission counselor and faculty at www.coe.edu/visit.