Whether they were competing in welding, carpentry, crime scene investigation or customer service, the more than 600 students participating in this month’s SkillUSA Iowa State Leadership and Skills Conference all had one thing in common–a passionate and dedicated career and technical education (CTE) teacher who provided valuable opportunities to master real-world technical skills and abilities.
CTE instructors not only teach the practical skills students need to succeed professionally. They also carefully develop a curriculum that meets industry standards and integrates academic and technical education, while facilitating work-based learning and apprenticeship opportunities.
Through career and technical student organizations (CTSO), like SkillsUSA Iowa, CTE instructors help students hone their technical, professional and leadership skills through opportunities to apply classroom lessons to real-world applications
However, as CTE instructors and SkillsUSA prepare students for a variety of in-demand careers, they realized that CTE instruction was a career field that also needed a talented pipeline of future workforce members.
“We’ve got to find that next generation to come in, take over and be able to teach these kids; otherwise we’re going to lose that ability and knowledge,” said Damian Spratt, an industrial technology teacher at New Hampton High School. “I never considered teaching myself but meeting these students has shown me that we really need to be encouraging kids to become CTE educators because there’s such a high demand for it and not many are going into it.”
To address this need and allow students to explore a potential immediate career pathway as a CTE instructor, SkillsUSA Iowa added a CTE Educator competition to its menu of nearly 70 different career and technical skill competitions at this year’s State Leadership & Skills Conference.
“We recognized that some of our most talented students have both the technical expertise and the heart for teaching, and we wanted to give them a pathway to explore that calling,” said SkillsUSA Iowa Executive Director Joey Baker. “The skills our students build in CTE programs, personal, workplace and technical skills are deeply transferable, and teaching is one of the most impactful career pathways those skills can lead to. SkillsUSA has always been about helping students see the full landscape of what's possible, and that includes recognizing that CTE education, itself, is a rewarding, in-demand profession.”
The competition required participants to present instructional content in a clear, organized and engaging manner while demonstrating their ability to design and deliver a lesson plan within their career pathway. In front of a panel of judges, competitors presented their lesson as if teaching in a CTE classroom and were evaluated on the effectiveness of their instructional delivery, the use of teaching tools and the quality of their lesson plan materials.
“This contest is important because it helps strengthen the teacher pipeline by giving students a chance to experience what it means to be a CTE educator,” said Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Chief Cale Hutchings. “Competitors showcase technical knowledge while also learning how to plan instruction, engage learners, assess skills and lead a classroom. Experiences like this can spark interest in teaching and help develop the next generation of high-quality CTE instructors.”
Many competitors hadn’t necessarily considered a future in CTE until their teachers mentioned the competition and encouraged them to apply their skills.
“I like learning, helping people out and lifting them up,” said Weston Praska, a senior at New Hampton High School and participant in the CTE Educator competition. “Being a teacher, you can empower kids to go do what they want with their dreams. Mr. Spratt did that with me by encouraging me to participate in this competition. I enjoy being a leader and encouraging others. Mr. Spratt helped me see that I had that in myself and that maybe I am cut out to be a teacher and have the right attitude and patience for it.”
Weston’s lesson plan and curriculum aligned with his cabinetry competition in crafting a lesson plan for the classroom on cabinet construction, including plotting the necessary cuts, steps and problem solving to learn the technical and mental skills necessary in completing a project.
“I know Weston has so much potential,” Spratt said. “Seeing how he interacts with others and helps other students out. He’s always willing to take the initiative to be that leader. I’ve seen that and said, ‘You really need to do this, I see great potential in you as a teacher.’”
Another participant in the contest, Rebecca Detloff, presented a lesson plan on automotive upholstery. The senior at Le Mars High School applied the lessons learned during her apprenticeship at Buzzy’s Customs, a local automotive and specialty upholstery shop, to her presentation.
Rebecca was also encouraged to participate by her CTE teacher, Riley Kluver, and is considering following in his footsteps as a CTE teacher.
“I think it’s an awesome idea for students to see if this is something they like,” Rebecca said. “You’re actually doing everything you would need to do as a teacher and preparing to teach a lesson.”
CTE educators like Kluver and Pratt have approached their students' preparation just as they would a student entering any other SkillsUSA competition, helping them formulate their lesson plans while providing the guidance and practical knowledge to create an engaging and instructional learning experience that meets the standards of high-quality CTE instruction.
“He [Kluver] knows how to make an assignment and lesson plan and was able to help me plan mine, give me tips and help along the way to improve my presentation,” Rebecca said.
Like most CTE teachers, both Kluver and Spratt began teaching after spending many years working various trades. Kluver was encouraged to step into the classroom by his former CTE teacher at Le Mars, who was retiring.
Those working in private sector trade careers can become a CTE teacher in Iowa by obtaining an Initial CTE Authorization through having relevant career or education experience and working toward a Career and Technical Education Authorization.
While that is the career arc for many CTE teachers, encouraging students with an interest in CTE to pursue education as a career is a critical component to strengthening the CTE teacher pipeline in Iowa.
“It’s super important because there are so few CTE teachers and a lot of people in CTE programs don’t think about it as a career,” Kluver said. “It’s great that SkillsUSA is encouraging kids to try it out.”
While Rebecca and Weston are undecided on which career path they will pursue, participating in the CTE educator competition has opened their eyes to the possibility of using their technical skills, knowledge and abilities to educate and open career pathways for the next generation of students.
“What better outcome than a student who goes on to inspire hundreds more?” Baker said. “If we can help even a handful of students see CTE education as a viable career path, we've made a meaningful investment in the long-term health of workforce development in Iowa and beyond.”