Instructor Highlight

Economics Teacher Enthusiastic About Position with TTU K-12

By Leslie Cranford, Section Manager

It is said that word-of-mouth is one of the best forms of advertising. That's how TTU K-12 ended up with one of its newer instructors, Kyle Dawson, who teaches economics.

"My former principal, James German, told me about TTU K-12 and how great it is, and that I should apply," Dawson said. "The idea of the virtual classroom had always intrigued me, so I decided to follow his advice. Fortunately, an economics position had just opened up, and the rest is history."

Dawson is in his second year of teaching with TTU K-12 and has taught in Texas public schools for the past 15 years.

"Throughout my career, I have taught American History, World History, World Geography, Economics, US Government, and Personal Finance; basically, all high school social studies courses. Economics is an incredibly relevant course for life after graduation, and I love teaching it."

One of the things Dawson likes most about teaching for TTU K-12 is the flexibility it offers not only its students, but the teachers as well.

"This past summer, my wife and I went backpacking for seven weeks across eastern Europe, and I was still able to continue teaching my economics class. More recently, we visited the Republic of Georgia during spring break without skipping a beat," Dawson said.

That doesn't mean there aren't challenges to online teaching and online learning.

Dawson feels the most challenging aspect is the lack of face-to-face communication. "In a traditional classroom, it is easier to get to know your students, and consequently, easier to tailor instruction. In order to overcome this challenge, both teacher and student must communicate clearly and often. Frequent feedback is also a powerful tool in the virtual classroom."

Seeing his students succeed in life is the most rewarding part of being an educator, Dawson adds. "Seeing them graduate from college, get a good job, and become wives, husbands, mothers and fathers – for me, it's rewarding and humbling to know I play a small role in that process.

"I also like that teaching is never a finished product, and that one can always get better," Dawson said. "I believe the goal of education is learning how to think. The focal point of teaching must be to cultivate critical and creative thinking skills that will prepare students for life after school. The TTU K-12 economics course is not only incredibly relevant to real life, but also challenges students to think critically and creatively."

For students, Dawson's best advice is "Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Ask questions, challenge assumptions and think outside the box."