ISEA Student Program

For this blog, I am going to share with you something I participated in this past weekend and hopefully promote an opportunity for all of us education majors to get involved in. About a month ago, I was introduced to an organization called ISEA in one of my class. ISEA (Iowa State Education Association) is a state-wide student organization allowing opportunities for leadership. On their Facebook page, ISEA is described as, “a professional association for college students preparing to enter the education profession. The association gives students the opportunity to learn--not only from each other, but also from a network of campus advisors and from the finest professionals in education. Each ISEA Student Program campus chapter plans activities and programs designed to help students become successful educators and to provide tips and information not covered in college coursework. ISEA Student Program also provides statewide leadership training sessions to keep future teachers informed on the issues that will affect them when they enter the classroom.”  To be honest, I was not really sure what exactly I was getting myself into when I first signed up, however, I knew that joining an organization such as this one would only better myself in my preparation to become a high school English teacher.

This past weekend I traveled to Des Moines to participate in the ISEA Student Program Fall Conference. This was a great way to jump right in and get involved. At the conference, ISEA members from all around the state of Iowa came together and participated in different workshops. The first workshop I attended gave me a better understanding of what ISEA is all about and the positive benefits that it has to offer to its members. Scholarship opportunities, local and community wide discounts, teacher liability, networking opportunities and service projects are just a few of the many benefits of joining ISEA. The second workshop that I attended at this conference was a question/answer panel in front of administrators from the Des Moines public school system. This was a great experience as an education student to get a chance to meet administrators and see exactly what they are looking for in prospective teachers.

My favorite part of this fall conference happened on the second day. We participated in an out-reach-to-teach service project at a local elementary school in Des Moines. This school is a very old building and is on the “renovation” list. As a group, ISEA went to the school and “spruced up” the atmosphere. Some activities included, washing lockers, cleaning desks and tables, taking down and putting up bulletin boards and landscaping the outside of the building. This was a great way to get involved and make a difference at a local school.

ISEA is a wonderful organization and a great way to make connections and make a difference. If anyone is interested in joining or has any questions please feel free to ask me! J