Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to consider what it means to be an educator in the 21st century. It puts learners in a place to analyze the current issues surrounding teaching as a career. Topics that will be explored include theories of emotional and multiple intelligences and the growth mindset as well as the historical and philosophical underpinnings of how the American Educational system has taken root and become what it looks like in its current form. Learners will engage in activities that require them to apply their understanding of the educational system and reflect, compare, and analyze how our schools currently look and ways they can be improved. Learners will reflect about the varying contexts of how community members, administrators, teachers and students function within this educational dynamic and how resources play a large role in how successful or unsuccessful schools can be. Learners will also be able to unpack the variables that impact schools’ overall success and what helps to create schools where students excel. Finally, the role of the teacher, the nature of curriculum and assessment, and the method of instruction will be explored. In this way, learners can discern how the profession functions and whether this is a path they want to travel down and help to make a difference with future youth.