Students aspiring to be teachers joined teaching veteran Tami Mann Thursday to get advice on entering the profession and learn about Binghamton University’s graduate program.

Mann, the senior staff assistant of the Graduate School of Education, encouraged students to get teaching experience to discover if it is the right profession for them.

“Ways to find out if teaching is for you [are] to volunteer, gain experience in teaching, and connect with teachers who taught you,” Mann said.

She said one of the benefits of getting experience is the chance to get a leg up on the competition when applying to graduate schools.

“Acquiring experience provides networking, résumé boosters, and letters of reference — all of which are good for applications into education programs,” Mann said.

According to Mann, the personal statement for an application is pivotal and the résumé should center around the applicant being a leader, teacher, helper and mentor.

She encouraged students to have multiple schools in mind when applying.

“Students interested in attending graduate school for education should apply to multiple graduate schools that lead to initial certification,” Mann said.

Mann said undergraduate students should should spend their time focusing on the subject they want to teach.

“Students interested in teaching high school and junior high students should major in the subject of which they would like to teach, take three years of foreign language in high school, or one semester of foreign language in college, and an introduction to economics or political science for those interested in teaching social studies,” said Mann.

According to Mann, Binghamton University’s school of education now offers a fast-track or combined degree program in French, math, science and Spanish for prospective teachers in grades seven through 12.

“The combined degree program provides an opportunity for a limited number of outstanding liberal arts students who have a 3.4 GPA by their junior year to graduate in five years with a BA and a MAT degree,” Mann said.

Eileen Bauer-Hagerbaumer, the assistant director for employer relations, said that despite the fact that Binghamton University does not have an undergraduate degree in education, this should not stop students from going into the teaching profession.

“I think that it is important to maintain the profession, and with the changing requirements for teaching, it is important to get quality people into the profession,” Bauer-Hagerbaumer said.

Ricki Zimmerman, an undeclared freshman, said she attended the event because she wants to become a teacher.

“I went in hopes that this could better inform me of what I have to do to become a teacher, and Tami Mann really knows what she is talking about,” Zimmerman said.

Lissett Ortiz, a junior majoring in mathematics, said she will practice what she learned at the talk.

“I learned that it’s important to participate in community events in order to build a résumé and to network,” Ortiz said.