The teacher shortage is always on my mind. I teach courses such as Introduction to Education, Exceptional Children, and School Procedures, and I serve as chair of the education discipline. In these roles, I have the opportunity to work with students who are interested in becoming educators.
Community colleges are uniquely situated to attract not only traditional students, but students in all stages of life.
I faced one big hurdle when I set out to work within the technology and engineering education (TEE) space: My background is in middle-level English and language arts. But my husband is a TEE teacher at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois, and I had been watching as his department struggled to find qualified teachers. This can have a profound impact on student opportunity. So, I decided to ask more questions, dig deeper and try to find a solution.
Strong partnership development
One of the first projects I tackled was aligning pathways for students. It’s important to remove as many barriers as possible. College of DuPage (COD) now offers an articulated pathway in partnership with Illinois State University. Students complete two years at COD, earning an Associate of Science before transferring to Illinois State to complete a Bachelor of Science and obtain licensure.
It’s hard to believe, but Illinois State University is the only institution in Illinois with a technology and engineering education program. There were numerous other programs in the state, including at Eastern Illinois University and Western Illinois University, but they have all closed, leaving school districts without the teachers they need to sustain high-quality programs. As a result of this, we had to explore additional options for students. That led us to Valley City State University (VCSU) in North Dakota.
Together, VCSU and COD enable students to complete an entire bachelor’s degree with teacher licensure in TEE for under $22,000, and they never have to leave home! Students complete associate degrees at College of DuPage. Then during their third year, they complete courses in the TEE area of their choice while also beginning coursework online at VCSU. They take methods classes online through VCSU and complete clinicals and student teaching local to where they live. Upon graduating, students actually receive a North Dakota teaching license, but through reciprocity, they are able to submit a form and obtain their Illinois teaching licenses as well.
Marketing & communications
In an effort to start the conversation about TEE teaching, we created a commercial that teachers can share with their students. This resource explains what it means to be a TEE teacher and how to get there. This information is helpful not only to students, but to their families and community members as well. We seek to educate and inspire!
Furthermore, education leaders in Illinios developed and launched the statewide Teach TEE campaign at the Illinois Technology Education Conference (ITEC) in 2023. This collaborative campaign was created by representatives from College of DuPage, Illinois State University, Valley City State University and the Technology Education Association of Illinois. At ITEC, technology and engineering education teachers were given postcards depicting the campaign logo and a QR code linked to a Linktree site and many relevant resources. Our hope is that more high school teachers will start talking about TEE as a profession and sharing their teaching experience with students. These postcards are a great physical reminder to initiate these conversations.
People often pursue careers in teaching because an influential person in their lives said they thought it would be a good fit. We need to have these conversations more often with our students. And we need to be intentional about sharing our profession in a positive light. The Teach TEE campaign aids in that discussion.
Technology and engineering education covers topics such as:
- Robotics
- Electronics
- Biotechnology
- Manufacturing
- Computer-aided design
- Automation
- Technical drawing
- Construction
- Sustainability
- Materials science
Conclusion
We know that strong, articulated pathways work. Eric Tecuanhuehue, a Waubonsie Valley High School, College of DuPage and Illinois State University graduate, is proof of that. He now shares his passion for TEE and for inspiring future generations of teachers. In fact, he has a student that entered the pathway at COD this fall!
An added benefit of these programs is the addition of dual credit courses available to high school students at no cost. Allowing secondary students to take TEE courses for college credit can help set them on their pathways to success. The upsides are many.
Admittedly, however, we did not anticipate all of the obstacles that stood in our way when we set out to address the teacher shortage in technology and engineering education. Like how challenging it could be to get the word out. We still need help! We need to continue to share and to get students interested in becoming TEE teachers. Not only in Illinois, but in the entire country! A colleague of mine always says that once we know better, we need to do better. Finding the next generation of TEE teachers, providing them with opportunities, and sharing our profession in a positive light is us, collectively, doing better.
April Zawlocki, Ed.D., is a professor of education at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She has served in numerous roles in her 18 years in education, including as a middle school English and language arts teacher, a Title I educator at the high school level, and in higher education.
