Northern helps inspire students to become teachers

from Montana State University-Northern

Montana’s shortage of educators is no secret — in fact, according to Elsie Arntzen, Superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction, Montana will face a deficit of approximately 800 teachers in the coming year.

The causes for the deficit vary; and efforts to address the crisis have been a topic of much concern among state officials.  

One issue contributing to the shortage is the lack of young adults who are interested in education or see it as a viable career path. Montana State University-Northern and Great Falls College MSU hope to help address this concern by giving students an early glimpse into the world of education through a new program offered by these schools.

Spearheaded by Northern, the Teachers of Promise Pathways — TOPP — program offers Montana high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses that count toward an education degree, free of charge.

Students participating in TOPP can graduate from high school with up to four classes required for an education degree already under their belts. TOPP students are supported by teachers, professors and mentors as they complete their dual enrollment credits and transfer them to their local two-year college or Northern.

The program has already seen great success in its initial run. In fall of 2022, students at Havre High School took EDU 201 — Introduction to Education, as part of the TOPP Program.

Many of the students who participated said they began the class unsure of whether education would be a proper fit for their future goals; however, by the end of the semester, all students offered glowing reviews of the class and the overall experience.

“I can honestly say that it has made me realize that teaching is what I want to do with my future,” Maggie Daniels said. “I have found this class helpful not only in gaining perspective as a teacher, but in gaining leadership skills, understanding the minds of students, and gaining firsthand experience with kids of younger ages.”

Those same sentiments were shared by many of the other students who engaged in the TOPP program’s offerings.

“When entering into the class, I had not considered myself capable of being a teacher, but now, nearing the end of the class, it feels like an actual possibility,” Sophia Dawson said.

Her fellow student, Ashlynn Hanson-Gleed, agreed.

“Not only did this class help me see what a college class would be like, but it helped me find what I was meant to do,” Hanson-Gleed said.

The TOPP program’s emphasis on rural schools means that the students who are taking part in the program will get exposure to what it’s like to teach in their own communities. For TOPP administrators, the hope is that many of these students will then return to those same communities upon completion of their education degree.

“TOPP, in many ways, is a head-start program for young educators,” said Curtis Smeby, Ph.D., director of TOPP at Northern. “The idea being that if we can get these kids into the classroom while they’re still in high school, help them understand what teaching is all about, and get them some free college credit for doing it, many of them will then want to become educators.”

Smeby said he sees the program as a win for Northern, for rural high-schools, and for the state of Montana as a whole.

“TOPP is helping to address the teacher shortage in the state by addressing one of the roots of the problem — if we can instill a love of teaching in these kids, then we’re already gearing up the next generation of educators,” Smeby said.

Corman Chandler, another student in the TOPP program, said that is likely what it will do.

“It is my personal belief that this class will benefit the next generation of teachers in Montana and abroad,” Chandler said.

With great success already under its belt, the TOPP program has its eyes on the future — for the benefit of schools, educators, and the state. Enrollment in the program is open now, and students interested in applying for the TOPP program can learn more at https://www.msun.edu/academics/coeasn/TOPP or by contacting Smeby at 406-265-3517 for more information.