By Jeff Murphy, October 11, 2021
Missouri’s 2021 Teacher of the Year Darrion Cockrell, a physical education teacher
at Lindbergh Schools’ Crestwood Elementary School in St. Louis, presents the keynote
address to about 500 middle and high school students and faculty sponsors at the University
of Central Missouri Future Teacher Academy.
WARRENSBURG, MO - Where will tomorrow’s K-12 teachers come from? For many Missouri
school districts, it’s possible these individuals will come from their own classrooms.
At least this is one of the hopes of educators who planned and organized the Future
Teacher Academy (FTA) Oct. 6 at the University of Central Missouri.
Attended by approximately 450 middle school and high school students and 50 faculty
sponsors, the Future Teacher Academy is a cooperative effort designed to help students
explore teaching as a possible career. This initiative involves faculty members and
students in UCM’s College of Education (CoE), faculty and students from more than
30 Missouri school districts, representatives of the Heart of Missouri Regional Professional
Development Center (RPDC), Central Missouri RPDC and the Missouri Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education.
The academy began in 2018 as part of the UCM education faculty’s Grow Your Own Future
efforts, and involved 10 students. But as public school-university relationships have
grown, so has this event.
“I had the privilege of working with school district partners to invite students
and faculty sponsors to campus in order to inspire them to consider teaching as a
career,” said Linda Glasgow, who serves as coordinator of UCM’s paraprofessional program
and is part of the team that helped plan this year’s FTA. “I believe the exponential
growth the program has experienced is a result of the relationships formed between
UCM faculty and students and school district faculty and students.”
She said events such as the academy place value on providing attendees an opportunity
to view themselves as future college students and as future teachers.
While this was the first year middle school students have participated, Glasgow noted,
“High school students who have attended our past events have enjoyed and learned from
UCM’s greatest resource: our students and faculty. UCM students and faculty have presented
in panel format and demonstrated what it looks like and feels like to attend UCM.
Students speak about college life and how to balance college life, college studies,
and jobs. Faculty share their journeys to teaching and the path to the teaching profession
at UCM.”
Further enhancing learning opportunities, academy participants engage in activities
that help them understand the teaching profession and the important role teachers
have in their communities.
”We hope to inspire students to choose teaching as a career and choose to return home
to their communities as teachers,” Glasgow said. “The events are an invitation to
the teaching profession and to making a difference in the lives of students.”
Also part of the planning team, Meredith Beggs, assistant instructor, elementary education
and math specialist, shared a long list of schools that were part of this year’s event.
While there were participants from larger suburban schools such as the Blue Springs
and Lee’s Summit school districts in the Kansas City metropolitan area, students also
came to campus from many rural communities such as Calhoun, Lone Jack and Slater,
just to name a few. Beggs said UCM, DESE, and the RPDCs sent out invitations to the
event to teachers and faculty sponsors of Future Teacher Clubs at middle schools and
high schools throughout the region.
“The teachers/faculty sponsors then shared the information with students who may be
interested in the teaching profession. Some of the districts have participated in
previous FTA events and are returning attendees,” Beggs noted.
The one-day event began in ballroom of the Elliott Student Union where UCM President
Roger Best shared a recorded message that welcomed attendees and also reflected on
the teachers who inspired him throughout his education career. UCM Provost and Vice
President for Academic Affairs Phil Bridgmon also spoke. Opportunities for participant
interaction and making connections followed.
“First, students spent some time discussing their ‘why’ for considering a career in
education. A few volunteers shared their thoughts with the rest of the group. We then
created a word cloud using menti-meter of qualities/characteristics of inspiring teachers,”
said Brandy Lynch, assistant professor of physical education. “We highlighted some
of the common themes, then watched a short video about the power of relationships
(between teachers and students in a school setting.”
As the event continued, she said “Students had a chance to share stories of inspirational
teachers with each other (and again a few shared with the whole group). To wrap up,
we completed a Kahoot quiz which covered some scholarship information, history of
UCM, and stats about UCM CoE (College of Education)
grads. The goal was to create an interactive and high energy environment where students
could identify and make personal connections to the characteristics of inspiring teachers.”
After eating lunch in the residence halls, courtesy of UCM Admissions, the day concluded
at the Elliott Student Union ballroom where 2021 Missouri Teacher of the Year, Darrion
Cockrell, presented the keynote address.
Affectionately referred to as “Mr. DC” by his physical education students at Crestwood
Elementary School in the suburban St. Louis Lindbergh School District, Cockrell has
been teaching for six years. It’s an opportunity he said came as the result of many
teachers who were difference-makers in his life. He lost his father by the time he
was five years old, he spent time in foster care, and by age 10 joined a gang. He
spoke about the bumpy road filled with many challenges that he faced growing up in
a rough neighborhood, and what it meant to him to eventually earn a college degree.
To get there, he had to overcame many obstacles as youth that included learning disorders,
and bouts with anxiety and depression.
“Twenty-plus years ago, I would have never imagined being in this position I am in
today. It’s definitely been a journey to say the least. But that’s the great thing
about life. It’s the journey we go through day in and day out along with the connections
we make with others along the way,” Cockrell told the gathering. “If it were not for
my educators who helped me stay focused and on track along my crazy journey of life,
I cannot with any confidence or certainty tell you I’d be standing up here today.”
He told students if they want to become educators, they should be prepared to “wear
many hats.” Among many suggestions Cockrell offered the young audience is the importance
of being “authentic” in their future work with students. He stressed the value of
future teachers making sure they learn their students’ names, and seeking to obtain
and share information that will help establish good teacher-student connections. Cockrell
also pointed out the importance of being able – as a teacher – to connect, inspire,
love and support the students whose lives are being touched through their education.
In addition to his recent state recognition, Cockrell received a 2020 National Box
Tops for Education Twilight Award, presented by Grammy-award winning rapper, singer/songwriter
and activist, Chance the Rapper.
The Future Teacher Academy is consistent with a 150-year tradition of preparing teachers
at the University of Central Missouri, and the university’s longstanding motto, “Education
for Service.” While UCM today offers more than 150 different degree programs, the
institution was founded in 1871 as the State Normal School, Second Normal District,
with a mission to prepare teachers who could serve Missouri schools.