February is Career and Technical Education Month. To celebrate, we checked in with several CTE teachers to learn more about why CTE matters to them. Thank you, CTE teachers, for all you do to prepare South Dakota students for life after high school!
Brad Brockmueller, information technology, CTE Academy, Sioux Falls School District
Why is CTE important to you?
CTE courses allow students to get work time with industry-standard equipment while receiving instruction from veteran teachers. Our courses cover a wide range of topics to allow students to try something new, achieve certifications, or start their postsecondary career with college credit.
What learning experiences have you seen really resonate with students?
Computer hardware. Students take apart and rebuild a computer on the first day of class. Students with little or no experience appreciate knowing our lab is a safe place to experiment and sometimes even make mistakes.
Tracy Kern, family and consumer sciences, FCCLA, Educators Rising, Harrisburg High School
Why is CTE important to you?
CTE is important to me as it provides students with the knowledge, skillsets, and resources to be contributing members of today's and tomorrow’s workforce. CTE makes content come alive in a hands-on setting while giving students real-life and real-world applications. The biggest reason I love CTE is it can show students the ‘why’ in their learning.
What learning experiences have you seen really resonate with students?
Anytime you can get students in a lab or real-world setting, and they can apply the information you have given them, it is a win! My favorite experience is when my Exploration of Teaching students can get into the classroom setting and work with a teacher who has the same passion for teaching as they do. The enthusiasm and excitement my students have for this experience cannot be explained.
Ryan Kroger, business and marketing education, DECA advisor, SDACTE BMIT division president, Harrisburg High School
Why is CTE important to you?
Entering education from working in the private sector as a manager in a Fortune 500 company, I have observed first-hand the benefits that CTE has on adults in the workforce. One of the biggest benefits is teaching kids transferable or soft skills. Students gain tremendous confidence from presenting to their peers in class and participating in career and technical student organizations (CTSO) like DECA, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA, SkillsUSA, HOSA, Prostart, and Educators Rising. I enjoy teaching students through real-world examples. Given the high availability of jobs in the various CTE fields, it’s important to expose students to career fields that are not only high paying, but also often allow students to secure jobs without a high level of student debt. I love being able to explain that CTE has opportunities for all types of students.
What learning experiences have you seen really resonate with students?
Starting our school store from the ground up has been a great learning experience for students and has allowed for so many cross-curricular projects. Students in Digital Design Art classes are currently creating the store logo, starting with a portfolio of sketches which will then become a final vector image. Business students had a hand in producing a store name, setting prices, managing inventory, creating a business plan, and working in management in store leadership positions. Our culinary students have worked hard creating homemade baked goods and working as baristas in an espresso bar. Our multimedia students have been creating digital advertisements and animated product images.
Janelle Whempner, culinary instructor, CTE Academy, Sioux Falls School District
Why is CTE important to you?
I love teaching CTE because every day I am able to make the connection for kids between the classroom and the real world. Through CTE we are able to study a topic, bring in leaders of the industry to ask questions of, learn from, and then apply that knowledge in a hands-on manner in our learning labs.
What learning experiences have you seen really resonate with students?
My school schedule allows me to have 100 minutes to work with students every day. This block schedule allows us to dive deep into our topics. I love creating recipes with my students and watching their faces light up when they bring to life a new dish. I also love having the opportunity to take my students out into our community to hear the stories of fellow bakers, chefs, business owners, and entrepreneurs.
