On May 7, the Houston County School District participated in Georgia’s Future Educators Signing Day, a statewide initiative sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education. The event celebrated 22 graduating seniors who are enrolled in the Teaching as a Profession pathway at the Houston College & Career Academy (HCCA) and who have made the decision to pursue a career in education. 

The Teaching as a Profession pathway is a two-year program offered at HCCA, where students spend the first year in the classroom learning the foundations of teaching. The second year of the pathway includes an internship inside of a classroom. During this internship, students gain real-world experience in a school helping the teacher with tasks such as reading to students, teaching small lessons, and grading papers.

“I love that the Teaching as a Profession pathway gives high school students the opportunity to experience teaching from actual classroom internship experience,” said Erin Morton, Teaching as a Profession Instructor at the Houston College & Career Academy. “These seniors are moving forward knowing what today’s classroom is like and how they can be an impactful teacher.”

Georgia’s Future Educators Signing Day, held each year during Teacher Appreciation Week, is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education’s Division of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education in partnership with the Georgia Early Childhood Education Foundation (GECEF) and Georgia’s colleges and universities.

Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeNnqQMgWlI to watch the full video of the Future Educators Signing Day event.

Classes offered at HCCA are open to students at all five high schools in Houston County. By completing the Teaching as a Profession pathway at HCCA, students can earn college credit while still in high school, giving them a jump start towards a successful career.

HCCA is located at 1311 Corder Road in Warner Robins. To learn more about the different pathways offered at HCCA, please visit https://hcca.hcbe.net/careerpathways. Students interested in enrolling at HCCA should speak with their high school counselor or advisor.