Teaching rewards discovered at We Are the Change

This spring, Bloomsburg University’s Student Pennsylvania State Education Association attended We Are the Change, an eye-opening conference that taught the importance of technology in the classroom, how to create a better learning environment and how to build a mindset of growth among students.

The PSEA is an organization of 6,000 plus future teachers who study at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. BU has its own chapter that travels to conferences, attends professional workshops and volunteers at service projects. PSEA also offers liability insurances for these students.

First of three breakout sessions at We Are the Change focused on the relationship between teachers and technology. The presenter focused on how students can benefit from technology when teachers are properly trained on it.

“I learned that even though some teachers do not know how to use most technology, it is important to learn for our students,” said Brianna Vaughn, pace chair of BU’s SPSEA. “It is about the students and what is going to benefit them in the long run. Technology can improve learning and teach students the safe and right way to use it.”

The second and third sessions focused on beneficial learning environments, how change can enhance how students learn, and how to foster a positive mindset in the classroom.

“Teachers should praise skills, not intelligence and focus more on teaching for students to learn, and stop teaching for specific tests,” Vaughn said.

After the sessions, attendees went to Tyrone Middle School and repainted the walls to make a more comfortable learning environment for the students.

“This experience made me realize how rewarding the teaching profession is,” Vaughn said. “Teachers are in it for the outcome, not the income.”