Urban Needs In Teacher Education: Who Are We?
UNITE is a national non-profit Registered Student Organization at Illinois State University with focus on servicing under privileged communities. Our urban teacher preparation model prepares future urban teachers to overcome the challenges of high needs schools and stay committed to the teaching profession.
Most often, preservice teachers are first thrown into the classroom and face a multitude of unexpected challenges during student teaching. As all education majors know, student teaching takes place during the last semester of one's college years; the last. There are many cases in which a preservice teacher realizes that teaching is not the right profession for them until it's too late, but then to finish up that semester and then start over with a new career.
UNITE prides itself for providing hands-on ways to experience the classroom and the communities that house the schools, discuss concrete topics that aren't necessarily covered in method classes, and provide Professional Development workshops free of charge. And exactly how do we provide those hands-on experiences, discussions, and workshops? By going into schools, by simply walking around communities and talking to its members about the "down low" information regarding current educational politics and the state of their community schools, and the individual's opinions of how to support a successful school. We bring in articles, ask for personal opinions, and for individual stories. We argue, we laugh, and we challenge each other to push all fellow future teachers to leave comfort zones. We want the real deal, not just a taste of teaching in an under serviced school. We are excited. We are hopeful. We are realistic.
We are UNITE.
"Past the doors of any school are students who have a right, a need, and a desire to learn."
Most often, preservice teachers are first thrown into the classroom and face a multitude of unexpected challenges during student teaching. As all education majors know, student teaching takes place during the last semester of one's college years; the last. There are many cases in which a preservice teacher realizes that teaching is not the right profession for them until it's too late, but then to finish up that semester and then start over with a new career.
UNITE prides itself for providing hands-on ways to experience the classroom and the communities that house the schools, discuss concrete topics that aren't necessarily covered in method classes, and provide Professional Development workshops free of charge. And exactly how do we provide those hands-on experiences, discussions, and workshops? By going into schools, by simply walking around communities and talking to its members about the "down low" information regarding current educational politics and the state of their community schools, and the individual's opinions of how to support a successful school. We bring in articles, ask for personal opinions, and for individual stories. We argue, we laugh, and we challenge each other to push all fellow future teachers to leave comfort zones. We want the real deal, not just a taste of teaching in an under serviced school. We are excited. We are hopeful. We are realistic.
We are UNITE.
"Past the doors of any school are students who have a right, a need, and a desire to learn."