More than a Classroom, Creating a Home

On this episode of the Tech Times podcast we talk with Aerospace Academy instructor Maegan Walls. Hear how she works to bring a sense of family to her classroom and what makes this academy so unique.

Transcript

Announcer: From Tulsa Tech, helping you make your own path with insights and information about the world of career training, the Tech Times Podcast starts right now. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Hey there, and welcome to the Tech Times Podcast. I'm your host, Ryan Williams. We are taking our show on the road today to the Riverside campus. This campus is a hub for information technology, aviation, creative arts, and even a little bit of healthcare.

Ryan Williams (Host): But tucked away is in a unique space, is a classroom that serves more than just learning. It's a home away from home for students in our Aerospace academy. Joining us today to chat about the Aerospace Academy is instructor Maegan Walls. Welcome to the podcast. 

 Maegan Walls: Oh, thank you for having me. 

Ryan Williams (Host): So first off, can you help our listeners and tell us a little bit about what, what is the Aerospace Academy at Tulsa Tech?

 Maegan Walls: So the Aerospace Academy is basically the student's high school. So each student that comes to our program is within an aerospace. Adjacent tech program. So that's some of the ones you mentioned. So working in aviation, maintenance, welding, IT, anything that could go directly relate to the Aerospace Academy or to aerospace, they could join the aerospace academy.

 Maegan Walls: Their time here though with me is working on their high school credit. So they're actually, these students are at Tulsa Tech all day, half the day with me getting their high school credits and then the other half at their career program. 

Ryan Williams (Host): That really makes this a unique program compared to a traditional high school classroom, right?

 Maegan Walls: Correct. There's a lot smaller class sizes. They get a lot more one-on-one. Because we are here at tech, we know how important those tech career fields are as well, so there's time geared for them working on those classes that we wanna make sure that they're successful in their future. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Why is Riverside Campus itself kind of near the Tulsa Riverside Airport so suited for this program?

 Maegan Walls: It's just a great family here, I think. And it's just everyone was really supportive of it. I think it, again, it's something where they all kind of work together. So to have these kids here all day helps them already be a part of that, that environment, I guess you could say. Sure. That they're here all day with that to experience that.

 Maegan Walls: And some of these students actually go to some other campuses as well, but we bus them over to this one. But I think just the counselors here, the instructors here, you know, this program's been here for, I think going on six or seven years, so it's, it's just become a very good spot for it and it's.

 Maegan Walls: I don't know, 

Ryan Williams (Host): kind of have some legs now to be able to run on. . Yeah. I'm sure you talked about this a little bit already, but with the uniqueness of your classroom, you spend a lot of time working with students, making sure they feel at home. , How do you try to incorporate that into your.

Ryan Williams (Host): Classroom. 

 Maegan Walls: Yeah. , Every day we do some sort of like, theme of the day. , We also take time each week to, talk about things outside of the normal class. Every student in here is taking a different course, so it is hard, unlike a normal class where you're all teaching the same thing, they're all doing different things.

 Maegan Walls: So we take some time each week to do one thing together. Whether that's learning a life skill, talking about futures. Talking about job applications, that we always just take some time to do those on top of our, like I said, little daily, kind of just fun warmups to get talking and kind of keep us all on the same page.

Ryan Williams (Host): It's still at, at the end of the day, we are looking at positive outcomes for these students, right? 

 Maegan Walls: Yes. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah. Who is the Aerospace Academy designed for? 

 Maegan Walls: A lot of things. , I mean, definitely, I mean, you can start with if you're struggling in your high school. , Obviously these days many schools are larger and larger class numbers.

 Maegan Walls: , And so this does have a capped class size. So there is that. So if you work better in smaller numbers, better with a more focused mindset, generally speaking, the kids take only one to two classes at a time here versus in the high school, they could be taking three or four on top of their tech classes.

 Maegan Walls: So they're able to more focus on one class. Even besides those things not being the struggling student, it's a convenience thing. A lot of times getting to tech can be the difficult thing. So these kids being here all day helps a lot of that as well. Yeah, I think just smaller class sizes. I think convenience of the classroom, so to speak.

 Maegan Walls: Being right here with their tech campus, there's a lot. Different ways that it works for different students. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Sure. Is it fair, you've already talked about this kind of being a ho their home high school, , for half of the day. What opportunities does that present for students? 

 Maegan Walls: I think again, it's the, we still tie in with their home high school, so it's the fact that we still keep that connection.

 Maegan Walls: They'll actually still graduate with their home high school. So that I think is like the benefit that they still get to walk the stage with. TPS, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Union, whoever. , But that they get to do it here. Like I said, with these smaller sizes that they get to work more independently on their work, that they can work at their own pace.

 Maegan Walls: We still connect with them. We, every week we check their home high school stuff, they will still go back even to their home high schools for events, prom, ACT, et cetera. They still have those connections with those schools as well. 

Ryan Williams (Host): That's really cool that they get to keep that connection with that, those friends and those, , that student body there.

 Maegan Walls: Correct. 

Ryan Williams (Host): , With the overall curriculum you're trying to cover, you really must be well versed in many subjects. Is there a subject you find maybe more enjoyable than others or something you're better at? 

 Maegan Walls: Well, of course, , my background is actually in mathematics. I have a master's in mathematics, so definitely anything in the math, which generally speaking is where a lot of students tend to struggle.

 Maegan Walls: So that was one thing that kind of made me suited for this program, especially aviation. And a lot of those programs are heavy in. Math. , So there's a lot of that as well. But, and so math is obviously always my favorite, but believe it or not, English I always say comes as a close second. I love to read and things like that.

 Maegan Walls: I just would never thought I'd teach it. But 

Ryan Williams (Host): yeah, it's such a wide range of things that you need to, , cover each day for . The home high school curriculum. So that's, pretty unique. 

 Maegan Walls: Yes. 

Ryan Williams (Host): What does a quote unquote typical school day look like for Aerospace Academy students? 

 Maegan Walls: So again, a typical school day is they are focused on one class, is the program.

 Maegan Walls: Method we're going with right now, one at a time. So they're all working on one individual course. That course is through an online program. And then I help facilitate or fill in the gaps where needed. They have notebooks that we work through, just like they were sitting in a class. There's a lecture video they watch as just the teachers instructing them.

 Maegan Walls: And basically for the three hours they're with me, it'd be the equivalent of sitting in a classroom for three hours. So they're to get. Basically like three days. . Worth of work in every class done. But they're only one class at a time. So they finish a course in about a month. 

Ryan Williams (Host): . And each student is working on a particular,

Ryan Williams (Host): different course, they might be, one might be working on English, one might be working on social studies, something like that. 

 Maegan Walls: Correct. I've got English, I've got physics, I've got Algebra two, pre-calculus, health Sciences, financial literacy. US history, 

Ryan Williams (Host): what a wide range of, subject matter you need to cover.

Ryan Williams (Host): So that's really wild to think about all of that subject matter you have to cover what kind of student thrives here, both in the technical sense, but also personally. 

 Maegan Walls: I would definitely say, like I said, it's almost. Like both ends of the spectrum as far as I think if you are a struggling student, where again, that normal class did not, I think this is much better.

 Maegan Walls: I've got some that are very reserved and quiet and so they're ones that would typically fall through the cracks in a normal classroom, but they can get that one-on-one attention with me, or they can feel more welcome to speak with me because. They're one of a few. Instead of this large class, they don't feel so called out.

 Maegan Walls: And then there's also in the opposite end of that spectrum, a lot of my students are actually, I would dare say on the gifted side of things, and those students tend to get bored in a normal classroom. So by being in this classroom, they're able to kind of work at their own pace. So some of those students that.

 Maegan Walls: Have to go with, normally the teacher's pace in a classroom can work a little faster and work on getting things done early. 

Ryan Williams (Host): That makes sense. Yeah. Both, both ways. That makes sense. . In terms of that class size being so important to students. Okay. We're gonna take a quick break. When we come back, let's get to know Ms.

Ryan Williams (Host): Walls a little bit better. 

Commercial: The business world is evolving, new competition, a shrinking workforce, and a greater need for specialized training. At Tulsa Tech, we are here to train your most valuable asset, your employees, equipping them with the skills to succeed. Our team is ready to help companies both big and small, with training at our place or yours, and it is more affordable than you think.

Commercial: Tulsa Tech. Improving your business is our business.

Ryan Williams (Host): Okay, we are back chatting with Ms. Maegan Walls, our Aerospace Academy instructor. Before the break we talked, about the academy quite a bit, and, but now we wanna get to know you. So what brought you to the classroom? 

 Maegan Walls: Well, I, to the classroom, I would say my fifth grade yearbook says that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, so, oh, 

Ryan Williams (Host): it's a calling.

 Maegan Walls: I always joke that I actually did it. So there's that. , You know. But what's brought me to, you know, Tulsa Tech, I think specifically was just working with students going to Tulsa Tech over the last couple years. Oh wow. Having been in the high school setting, that I just knew what a great thing it was for Tulsa Tech.

 Maegan Walls: I always joke that I wish more of these classes were available when I was in high school, and I probably would've been a Tulsa Tech student myself. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Me too. 

 Maegan Walls: And so it's through that, that I saw this opening and it just, it was a calling. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Nice. How does this differ from other classrooms you've taught in?

 Maegan Walls: I mean, obviously besides. The, the obvious of the multi subjects. That's the biggest thing that comes with this one is having the multi subjects. I've been doing something similar for the last couple of years as well. , But this is a little bit more, they really are all over the place on their different classes.

 Maegan Walls: , So there's, there's that. Otherwise, it's, it's very similar to their classes I've been in and the sake of, you know, helping them push through, getting to work with the students, you know, waiting for that light bulb moment. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah. What are, what are some of the bigger challenges you face as an. Instructor in this program.

 Maegan Walls: The biggest challenge are just those you ask. My favorite subject. Maybe it'd be more like least favorite subjects. You know, so having to do those ones that you don't teach every day or that not every kid has. So for example, I'll just say like history. . A lot of my students need a history credit, but not all do.

 Maegan Walls: History is a high school course that you only need three years of. So some of these are seniors, they don't need it. And so some do. So when those classes come up, it's a little bit of a. You have to remind yourself some of those things that you learned in history. 

Ryan Williams (Host): And how do you handle all of the different.

Ryan Williams (Host): You know, with your teaching different students, different subjects, there's obviously gonna be different timelines and logistics in terms of homework and tests and things like that. How do you manage all of that? 

 Maegan Walls: That's not as hard to manage as you might think. Just because in general they all have a similar goal in how much of a class to complete each day.

 Maegan Walls: So what might entail when, what they complete will be different for every student. But there's also some pros to them being on different things. 'cause it means that we're, some are more. Self-reliant on those subjects. I can work on the ones that aren't and things like that, versus if they were all in math and all struggling, that might make it a little harder.

 Maegan Walls: So it's, it helps a little bit for them to be on the different subjects as well. 

Ryan Williams (Host): And we have, different departments and things that can obviously come in and help you . And some of those things as well. So, , that's a nice re resource to have. , What is maybe the biggest reward you have as a instructor here in the program?

 Maegan Walls: I think just getting to see them complete those classes and to be a part of that for their whole year, it almost is, , maybe that's more of the unique side of it where I would only have these students for one hour in a normal classroom that I get them for the three hours in four different subjects throughout the year.

 Maegan Walls: And to kind of watch that growth and help them with that has been been rewarding. 

Ryan Williams (Host): I'm sure those light bulb moments are just those things that really like, oh yes, I'm, I'm doing this right. Yeah. That's really cool. How has the curriculum evolved since the academy started? It's, you mentioned it's been here a few years now.

Ryan Williams (Host): How does it keep up with, industry trends, educational trends, things like that? 

 Maegan Walls: We just, we use an out, a third party resource for the online program. And so that program itself does do yearly updates as the different, state curriculums update. So like, math was a year or two ago, so even through the website it updated it and things like, so it's, it keeps up.

 Maegan Walls: And we also have here at Tulsa Tech the freedom to go in and go, well, maybe, you know, we don't teach that here in Oklahoma because it's a national website that maybe we can change some things that fit specifically to us. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Very cool. What's your favorite thing about Tulsa Tech? 

 Maegan Walls: My favorite thing about Tulsa Tech is just the wide variety of people.

 Maegan Walls: I don't even wanna say it's just students, but you know, young students, adult students, just people that it touches and the lives that I know that it can change those. I mean, these are jobs that are always gonna be needed, and so it's just a great opportunity for anyone who gets that chance. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Who would you say inspired you to be a teacher?

Ryan Williams (Host): Do you have a mentor or, 

 Maegan Walls: I would probably say my high school math teacher. So I had, a slightly smaller school that I went to and I was not necessarily gifted, but there was only one teacher that taught all the advanced math classes. And so out of my four years of high school, I had the same math teacher, three outta four years.

 Maegan Walls: And I would definitely say that was my inspiration. 

Ryan Williams (Host): What do you hope students take from their time in your classroom? 

 Maegan Walls: I hope they learn the things that they're learning from the class. Maybe not necessarily the courses themselves. Time management skills, meeting deadlines, doing difficult things that we don't wanna do.

 Maegan Walls: Persevering through those things. , And even those little lessons we learn on this side. I said we talk a lot of life skills, insurance, taxes, you know, I hope that some of those things help them just. Set their future. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Again, I wish I had something like this in high school where someone would teach me a little bit about adulting.

Ryan Williams (Host): Yes. And that that would be great. 

 Maegan Walls: Maybe that's a better word for it. Adulting. Yes. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Talk a little bit more about some of those soft skills or adulting life skills that you were talking about earlier. How do you incorporate those into the daily? Aspect of your classroom? 

 Maegan Walls: Yeah, so we take some time. It just depends on the week.

 Maegan Walls: 'cause they have other activities they do, but typically once a week we'll go through some, they try to kind of connect. We do like communication skills. So we started with just in general communicating. That's a big part of working in any field is being able to talk, whether it's a boss, a coworker, or an employee.

 Maegan Walls: Customers. . Dealing with conflict negotiation. We've talked, , email communication, the proper ways, you know, to set up your email to format an email we've done. Yeah. We've talked a little bit about banking accounts, checkings, proper savings accounts, and how to do some, they had never heard of money markets, CDs

 Maegan Walls: we're gonna get a little more into taxes and stuff as we get closer to that time. So I try to kind of connect it with the real world as well. , So taxes are coming up. , We've talked, , even like you said, like soft skills, just working in the business. There'll be some interviews, stuff that'll get through to, as we get more towards the end of the year.

 Maegan Walls: But kinda like you said, just things that, that are adulting and I think, I think of. What you mentioned, which would be like, things that I wish I was taught . When I was in school that I wasn't 

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah. Like how do I, what, how do I make a haircut appointment? 

 Maegan Walls: Yes.

Ryan Williams (Host): I mean, not that I have to worry about that now, but I mean, you know, like back in the day I had to call to make an appointment.

Ryan Williams (Host): I didn't know how to do that and nobody really taught me those things and not necessarily like I needed an instructor to teach me. But, those are skills that are really handy to have as you get into adulthood. . So, yeah. Very cool. . If someone thinks this program is the right fit for them, walk us through the application process.

Ryan Williams (Host): I'm, I'm sure it's somewhat different from other training options. 

 Maegan Walls: It is. , So I mean, the first situation to get into this class is they have to be in a tech course. , So this isn't like we can't just come take this high school class. You have to be in a tech program to then join this. , As of right now, again, specifically the Aerospace Academy is geared towards.

 Maegan Walls: Aviation aerospace related field. So again, so a little bit of a wide variety, it's spread out a little bit. , But once they do that, then there is an application they fill out specifically for the aerospace academy. , Then they'll go through like a little bit of an interview process with the counselors to make sure that this is a good fit.

 Maegan Walls: It is smaller class sizes, so we do have limited seating available. And then as long as everything goes okay with that, then they get approved to join us and they can technically. With some difficulty join at different times too. So some students will join a semester and that as long as they've been in a program, they can still fill out that application and attempt to join.

Ryan Williams (Host): And so they'll need to obviously go through the full application process for their tech training program. And what I think a lot of people don't realize is how much the aviation industry really touches. So we mentioned earlier, like it, 

 Maegan Walls: we have . I mean 

Ryan Williams (Host): it is obviously gonna. Ha be impactful in an aerospace business anywhere, right?

Ryan Williams (Host): Like everybody needs computers and internet and things like that. So I think a lot of people just think aviation and then they just think the planes or working on the planes themselves, but there's a lot to it. 

 Maegan Walls: Correct. We have AMT, which is our aviation maintenance teams. We've got welding, we've got, like you said it, we've got, even automotive maintenance. There's, you know, trucks on the airfield and stuff. Sure, yeah. All those gotta work. So yeah, we've, we've definitely, like, since it's spread it out to a couple different programs, 

Ryan Williams (Host): What's one piece of advice you'd give to a high school student considering the Aerospace Academy?

 Maegan Walls: I would say again, it's like both sides of the program. If you are struggling in your school one way or another, if right now, you know, just even getting to school after you leave your tech program or vice versa is a difficult thing, if you know those large class sizes, if you're not getting the attention that you feel like.

 Maegan Walls: You could need, maybe you need more support from a teacher that they just can't give you because of class sizes. , Or maybe you're bored in your class because you're, you already know this and you're having to sit through that lecture. You know, all of those are good reasons to consider applying 'cause you'll still get to walk with that homeschool.

 Maegan Walls: But you'll get that time and attention that you need by being in a smaller class size here. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Very cool. Very cool. Thanks so much for joining us today. We appreciate you being here. 

 Maegan Walls: Thank you. 

Announcer: Thank you for listening to the Tech Times Podcast. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. And be sure to like us on social media.