On Thursday, Oct. 30, Coral Gables Senior High School’s Teaching Academy had an eventful and informative field trip to Miami Dade College’s Padron Campus, where they attended the Teach TOK 2.0 event. The event’s theme was to emphasize the rise of new teachers and students. Students learned the importance of teachers and why the world needs more of them. They also learned what extracurriculars and scholarships will help them get into programs related to their desired path.
At 7:45 a.m., Teaching Academy students made their way to the front of the school to board a bus that took them to MDC’s Padron Campus. There, they were greeted with a breakfast for students and teachers. Other high schools like Hialeah Gardens joined together to take part in the event. After breakfast, the students had time to make promotional reels and and take photos, advertising the event for the academy
“The Teach TOK 2.0 event was a very fun and entertaining field trip. It was amazing to see so many students from different schools who are just as interested in the future of education. All the games and activities were really fun and engaging and I especially enjoyed hearing a MDC student named Chelsea speak. The food was also great and overall the whole experience was exciting, inspiring and unforgettable,” sophomore Daniela Perez said.
Afterwards, students entered a conference room of about 400 students. As students stepped into the room, a banner took up the wall reading: “What inspires you to achieve?” The students were then expected to write who or what inspired them, which gave students a reminder of why they should achieve their future goals. Then, students gathered in the convention center and were greeted by the Padron Campus president Dr. Oscar Loynaz. He spoke to attendees about education and how important it is for both present and future generations to have quality education so they know more about the social and economic challenges this world provides.
“The event was really fun and super motivating. It really showed me how important educators and teachers are and the positive impact they have on future leaders,” sophomore Amy Garcia said.
Continuing in the session, Teaching Academy students witnessed how a new partnership will shape the future of education for Miami. Miami Dade College and Junior Achievement of Greater Miami, a non-profit organization that aims to prepare young people to succeed in the future, signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will expand opportunities for high school students who plan to pursue a career in teaching. Through this, MDC’s School of Education and Teaching Academies Dual Enrollment Program will combine with JA’s financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness curriculum, giving students a real world classroom experience.
“It was a huge honor to be apart of the signing of this special collaboration. We really enjoyed being there and learning more about their programs. Personally Teach TOK was such an inspiring experience and it was amazing to see educators that once were in our place succeed and make a great and significant impact. We also enjoyed the picnic they had organized for us where we ate, played games and participated in a 360 video opportunity,” junior Rosalia Ledesma said.
After a few hours, students from the different schools came together to eat lunch and socialize. There, they were also able to take photos, videos and selfies with the MDC mascot. They then split into groups and headed to their next activity which was a short speech from a present sophomore in the teaching program at MDC.
The student explained to the high schoolers how she got to where she was right now and why she decided to choose a teaching career. They also spoke about scholarships and how to move forward in their teaching paths. This inspiring speech reminded the students that MDC is always an option and is often under-appreciated when it comes down to their education program and admissions.
Students aspiring to be future teachers were then allowed to ask any questions they had and get real perspective on what it is like to pursue teaching majors. Afterwards, they wrapped up their trip and headed back to Gables, looking back on the informative experience that augmented their knowledge and the prestige of our teaching academy.
“As a board member of Teaching Academy, my goal is to have students learn not only what it takes to be an effective teacher but to provide them with an environment where they can feel comfortable and have fun while learning various concepts. I hope it offers them a place where they can show-off their creativity and be themselves whether it’s by working in groups or individually,” junior Janisbel Rodriguez said.
