More than 400 high school students attended the SIU Education Day on Tuesday.
The university's School of Education hosted the day for high school students who are taking education classes at their schools.
Students attended workshops throughout the morning where they learned how to engage students, write lesson plans, and learn from teachers in different subject areas.
Speaking to students during the event, School of Education dean Victoria Groves-Scott told students they are going to make a difference in the world, "You were born to make a difference. And so when we talked to people about that say, 'Oh, don't be a teacher', I told them to push back and say, 'Yeah, but I was born to make a difference.'"
Matalyn Brush is a junior from Carterville. She was excited to hear from current teachers learning what it's like to have your own class.
She says teaching is the most important job in the world, "We're just raising future healthcare workers, reaching future doctors. We are just raising the future. And I think teaching has been important to me since I was young. I think that just getting able to speak to young kids and teach them how to be people is very important to me."
Education Day featured a resource fair with more than 30 SIU departments and education organizations sharing information and experiences with the students.
