Education Students Find Support Through Whee Teach

 College of Education and Allied Professions      February 8, 2021

By Grace Houston, Senior Middle Grades Language Arts Major, and WHEe Teach Vice PResident, Treasurer & Social Chair

Throughout my time in Whee Teach, it has been known as a place for support and knowledge about teaching. When the last semester ended on an unexpected note, Whee Teach had to gain a different understanding of how to remain a place for support in a world that was turned upside down. As a leadership team, we noticed that many of our members needed more support than normal due to not being able to participate in ways they are used to. Whee Teach began meeting this year with in person and online options. It seemed that many of the members had questions about connecting with those around them in the online college environment. This is when we decided that our club could serve as a place for these concerns and connections to be made.

Leadership needed to start somewhere. So, we partnered with CAPS (Counseling and Psychology Services) on campus to acquire some new skills. This training helped us gain insight to help those through distress. Although our training only lasted a short period of time, we gained skills on how to help all students online in an environment that is always changing. Stress and loneliness have become issues for even the most care-free members of society and we needed to come together to support each other.

Whee Teach has become a place where all members feel heard and supported because we took an extra step as a team to focus on bettering the people around us. As education majors it is important that we learned these skills and can pass them on to the next generation. Our monthly check-ins have been a place for all members to express how they are doing and receive validation. As a club, the check-ins have allowed us to create community when there felt out of reach. Members have voiced that these check-ins are events that they look forward to and have helped motivate them to strive for excellence this semester.