Here’s how Middle Georgia students are stepping up to become next generation of educators

Last month, the Georgia Department of Education launched its “Teach in the Peach” initiative, a recruitment campaign aimed at tackling teacher shortages and inspiring high school and college students to join the educator pipeline.

But several high school students in Middle Georgia have already answered the call to teach, driven by a passion to empower the next generation to succeed academically.

At William S. Hutchings College and Career Academy in Bibb County, students who are enrolled in the Teaching as a Profession pathway gain invaluable hands-on experience and classroom exposure long before they graduate.

For sophomore Zoe Hunermand, teaching is more than just a career choice — it is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on students’ lives.

“Growing up, I kind of struggled with ADHD a lot, but my kindergarten teacher stuck with me for a few years until quarantine time to help tutor me in math,” Hunermand said. “I want to do the same thing with kids who have similar disorders and build their confidence.”

The students attend practicum classes at Hartley and Ingram-Pye elementary schools four days a week, where they shadow experienced teachers in classrooms, assist with grading and lead their own mini-lessons.

Jennifer Davis, instructor of the BCSD program, said the three-course pathway is beneficial for students because it only takes them a year to complete it and receive college credit.

“They are introduced to the everyday happenings of being a teacher, such as lesson planning and identifying classroom management styles,” Davis said. “We even talk about current contemporary issues that affect classrooms—teacher shortages and the dismantling of the federal Department of Education.”

Junior Adrienne Diggins said she is grateful for the pathway because it prepares her for the demands of the teaching profession and helps shape the type of teacher she wants to be.

“My biggest goal is to change how we read and learn as a whole, not just in Georgia but in all of America. I feel like we need a whole reset of how we teach students,” said Diggins, who became interested in the field after learning about the state’s low literacy rates.

Sophomore Jordan Pearson said her lifelong aspiration to be a teacher was fueled by enjoyment in teaching her younger sister and making an overall impact on others.

“This course has really helped me because it shows firsthand what being a teacher truly is, and I don’t think textbooks can prepare you enough,” Pearson said.

Some students in the teaching pathway will formally commit to the profession on an educator signing day held toward the end of the semester, Davis said. This year’s student graduate program will have a “Teach in the Peach” theme, inspired by the Georgia DOE, she added.

How GA educator pipeline can attract more young people

State Superintendent Richard Woods said the new recruitment campaign is crucial for improving teacher retention in the state.

“Right now, about a third of our workforce has about 21 years or more in service so you can start doing the math of trying to figure out in the next 10 years, we’ve got to have people to come in (and replace them). I think it’s so important to look at doing this,” Woods said at a department of education board meeting last month.

Although the state DOE is not solely focusing on younger generations to replace outgoing teachers, Middle Georgia students said there are ways the state can attract them.

Diggins said more adequate benefits and resources for teachers would attract younger people because “working with children is not easy.”

Hunermand emphasized the importance of making teaching a more mainstream and appealing career choice for young people, especially those who are looking for something considered “fun,” but may not realize the benefits of the job.

Rylee Smith is a senior at Houston County High School who completed the Education as a Profession pathway. She currently works as a student-teacher at Lake Joy Primary School, highlighting that exposure of opportunities to work in a classroom would encourage her peers to join the field.

“I also think just to be able to hear from current teachers about their experiences and the different things that they’ve enjoyed since teaching would attract more young people,” Smith said.