USI to host third annual Be a Teacher Day
The University of Southern Indiana Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education is hosting its third annual Be a Teacher Day on Wednesday, February 12 on the USI campus. The event will highlight the importance of the profession of education, allow prospective students to meet current teaching professionals and teacher education students, as well as ask questions about the profession.
Be a Teacher Day will include a panel discussion with a superintendent, a principal, an elementary teacher, a first-year teacher, ESL teacher, and current teacher education students; a keynote presentation; a major matching event; a classroom experience; and a campus tour.
The first Be a Teacher Day, hosted in 2023, was a huge success, drawing more than 350 high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors from the Tri-state area. USI’s Teacher Education Department was thrilled with the outpouring of interest and is looking to provide prospective students with a unique, engaging experience. The event has inspired many similar events hosted throughout the state since.
“Be A Teacher Day is a vital event underscoring the commitment of the Teacher Education Department at USI to shaping the future of education,” says Dr. Tori Colson, Assistant Dean of the Pott College. “We take great pride in fostering a growing interest in the teaching profession across the Tri-state area.”
The keynote presentation this year will be given by Kim Strobel ’99 and a former teacher turned internationally known motivational speaker who inspires others to step into their power and live happier, less stressed lives. Drawing on positive psychology research, she teaches practical, science-backed strategies that help you achieve transformative results.
Strobel will also be presenting another keynote in the evening, The Science of Happiness, directed at current teacher education students and educators in the Tri-state area. The event will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the USI Performance Center and is free and open to the public.
USI’s Teacher Education program offers a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science through the following majors:
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary Education
- Special Education
The teacher education minor in secondary/P-12 education may accompany any of the following majors to prepare discipline-specific teachers:
- English Teaching
- History Teaching
- Mathematics Teaching
- Science Teaching
- Earth/Space Science, Chemistry, Life Science, Physical Science, Physics
- World Languages and Cultures Teaching (P-12)
- Physical Education (P-12)
- Visual Arts Teaching (P-12)
Be a Teacher Day is made possible through generous support from the USI Foundation.
For more information and to register, visit the USI Teacher Education website. For questions, contact Elise Murray, Instructor in Education, at ecweatherh@usi.edu.
