Twenty-four U of A preservice teachers in childhood education and special education recently attended a conference presented by the Arkansas Association of Middle Level Education in Hot Springs.

Two faculty members in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction organized the event. Angela Elsass, associate professor of teaching, and Renee Speight, assistant professor of teaching, allowed students the opportunity to collaborate with middle level in-service teachers and administrators and engage in a professional learning workshop with Marcia Tate, a nationally recognized speaker and author.

Tate presented two sessions aligned with her books, Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites and Healthy Teachers, Happy Classrooms. During these sessions, she shared research-based strategies to foster student learning and support teachers in maintaining their own health and wellness.

U of A preservice teachers also shared lunch with Tate, where she answered questions and signed copies of her most recent book, Healthy Teachers, Happy Classrooms. Lindsey Calhoun of the U of A Education Renewal Zone purchased the books for students.

Education is a continuously evolving field, so it's important for future teachers to understand pathways for professional development. Attending state-level conferences is one way to build knowledge and learn new skills while also establishing a professional community, Speight noted.

"I have been engaged in state association work since early in my career. These experiences helped me establish a strong professional community. My hope is our preservice teachers have such experiences for networking and building a community with colleagues in their schools and beyond," she added.

Despite the importance of building a professional community for newly practicing teachers, there are often cost-related barriers. To mitigate costs associated with this trip, Speight and Elsass submitted a proposal for and received internal funding through the College of Education and Health Professions' new WE CARE Field Experience Initiative. The initiative seeks to expand clinical and field experiences across Arkansas to foster impactful learning opportunities for the college's students.

"It is powerful to experience the culture of a professional conference in which one gains excitement and motivation for their chosen profession," Elsass said. "This opportunity was pivotal for offering the experience of professional collaboration and learning from and with other middle-level educators on critical topics that will inform their practices as future teachers."

These preservice teachers will begin their educational careers upon graduation in 2023. All are currently completing year-long internship experiences in area public schools.

"This was an impactful opportunity for our preservice teachers to gain knowledge about strategies for brain-compatible teaching, which align with successful learning experiences for young adolescents," Elsass said.