GCHS has had many different clubs introduced over the years. This year, a brand new club known as the Future Teachers of America is joining the ranks.

The club was started by English teacher, Kendall Miller, in order to combat the recent shortage of students with teaching majors. According to Miller, “[She] noticed we had a lot of alumni teachers- around 14… We decided to start this project to encourage students to go into teaching.”

FTA’s meeting will consist of various activities designed to show the members what being a teacher is like. For example, teachers will be coming in to present to the class about different assets of the job, such as what department heads look for when hiring, or teaching abroad. There will also be multiple forms of  direct teaching experiences.

“If they’re interested in high school teaching,” said Mrs. Miller, “we could set them up with teachers here, and they could shadow them. If they’re interested in middle or elementary school teaching, we plan on taking field trips to other school.”

A few of the club’s members gave insight into how the club is going to benefit students. FTA member Zachary Krakow said that he has known he wanted to be a teacher since 2nd grade, and is hoping that the club will give him hands-on experiences that will help him further down the line.

Indeed, the club will be very helpful for any student who has considered going into teaching. Mrs. Miller said that it looks very good on resumes and applications, and fellow FTA member Caroline Gatchell said “People should join to see what happens when you’re teaching. Even if you’re not sure if that’s what you want to do, it’s a great way to decide if that’s what you want for your future”.

The club meets on Fridays in room 2205. If you are interested in joining, feel free to email Mrs. Miller about it.