A Lesson for Future Teachers

I have an awesome boss and a job I love....so, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with her and participating in a teacher panel at OUZ. There were over 150 college students in the crowd.

Below is the news report from WHIZ on the event.

On Friday, Ohio University-Zanesville hosted the Rural Urban Collaborative Education Symposium. Coordinator Frans Doppen said the collaborative is a partnership among Ohio University, Ohio Dominican University and their respective school partners to help prepare students for their roles as teachers in an ever-changing world.

"I want them to get out of it that we all bring different experiences to education, and regardless of whether we are in an urban or rural setting, there are a lot of issues that we share that are very similar," said Doppen. "A lot of our students come from a suburban environment and don't really have an urban or rural experience."

Doppen said students can grasp how to examine gender, race and locality differences in the classroom. Originally from the Netherlands, he said his background gives him a deeper understanding of diversity among students.

"I tend to look at my experiences here from a different angle, and I think that's something that everyone should have," said Doppen. "I've always been passionate about it. You need to learn to understand that no one has the same background and learn to appreciate it."

Juna Garber and Fritzi Gibson from Nashport Elementary, and Bonnie Sulens and Steve Foreman from John McIntire Elementary represented our area at the event.