By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
In 2011, Kansas native Derek Campbell was working as a K-12 Outreach Specialist in the Teacher Education Department at Rio Salado College.
As he assisted and guided students who wanted to become teachers, Campbell decided to take a few of Rio’s education courses himself.
“After a few years of assisting prospective teachers on pursuing their educational endeavors, I began taking education courses,” Campbell said. “I wanted to familiarize myself with the course content to better speak to students on the experience they would have.”
Campbell realized that he enjoyed taking online classes, and also enjoyed learning the course content, so he continued on an education pathway.
“I had some experience with online courses at other schools, but Rio's instructors and the design of the classes really made it soar far above the rest,” Campbell said. “The instructors were so helpful. I felt like they cared about making the experience as personal and relevant as possible for me.”
As he pursued his coursework, Campbell found that setting aside dedicated time for studying was a key to success.
“I carved out a set time every evening that was specifically for just doing my online courses,” Campbell said. “I had a lot of distractions at home, so I would work on my coursework at a local library which I found to really help me focus.”
Campbell especially enjoyed three of his Rio Salado classes.
“My experiences with Wanda Wilson (Secondary Methods and Curriculum Development) and Julie Ferin (Classroom Management and Behavior Analysis) as instructors were so fantastic and meaningful to me,” Campbell said. “I also found the Structured English Immersion classes to be quite impactful.”
Soon enough, Campbell had completed coursework for Rio’s Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program and earned a secondary English teaching certificate.
The Post Bacc program is for students who already have a bachelor’s degree and want to become a teacher.
Campbell previously earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and communications with an emphasis in journalism from the University of Missouri. With credentials in hand, Campbell embarked on the next chapter of his journey.
“After three years working for Rio Salado, I completed my student teaching in the Paradise Valley Unified School District and loved every minute of it,” Campbell said. “I very sadly left Rio as an employee, now as a graduate, to begin my own journey in secondary education.”
After graduating from Rio, Campbell returned to Kansas where he has taught at the middle school, high school and community college levels.
For the past two years, Campbell has taught English as a Second Language classes at Alfred Fairfax Academy in Kansas City, where he was recently named Teacher of the Year.
“I admit it was a little bit of a shock,” Campbell said. “I work with so many talented colleagues who are equally deserving, but I am honored to be recognized for the hard work I have dedicated my life to for the last 10 years.”
Now that he has a decade of experience as a teacher, Campbell hopes to combine his knowledge and experience into a new role as a school counselor. This next chapter would require going back to school again – something he clearly looks forward to.
“I had such a wonderful experience as a student with Rio Salado,” Campbell said. “There are so many amazing people I encountered in the Teacher Preparation department who really changed the whole trajectory of my life, and I am forever grateful.”