Jessica Jacobson
jjacob37@uwsuper.edu
University of Wisconsin-Superior is well known for its rigorous and rewarding teacher education program.
The Future Teachers Association (FTA) has been a club for approximately ten years, only taking a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campus club page site lists 26 members within the FTA.
Anna Senty is the FTA secretary and has been a member for a year and a half. Amaya Wayne is the historian of FTA and has been a member for two years. Since COVID, volunteer opportunities have taken a hit and are something club members are working hard to restore.
Books With Buzz was an event that the FTA put on annually. At the event there were stations for children to be read to by FTA members. This connected the club to educators and their students in the area. Unfortunately, this year, the club could not make this event happen due to low membership and the busy schedules of existing members.
Wayne said that she would change the current structure of the FTA by having, “more volunteer opportunities and having a rotation of times and days of the week so that people are not excluded due to class, jobs, or other responsibilities.”
“I would change having the organization not be so student-lead heavy. As a student being in charge it is really nice, but also it can be a little too much when all of us have sports, classes, clinicals, homework, a family life, etc,” said Senty. “It would be nice to have more leadership from the instructors that oversee us.”
“Being a part of FTA is a great boost on the resume. With the events that we’ve had in the past, it’s a great way to get your name out into the community and within the school districts in Superior. It also helps prepare me as a future educator with being involved in the schools,” said Senty.
Despite these complications, Wayne and Senty said that if they were not seniors, they would continue participating with the club.
