Nearly 150 students attended the first Clear Creek ISD Teacher Symposium on Oct. 17 at the University of Houston-Clear Lake to learn alongside teachers about education careers, according to the university. The students are part of the Teacher Education Training program designed for high school juniors and seniors who want to become public school educators in Texas. Part of the program aims to provide students an opportunity to be part of a teacher's conference, according to a UHCL press release. "The TET teachers told me that the students should experience a real teachers' conference, in which they would attend sessions and learn about different topics related to education just as their own teachers do," Stephanie McBride, Clear Creek ISD's executive director for professional learning, said in the release. Students attended four sessions to learn about topics such as literacy in elementary schools, special education modifications and accommodations, building positive relationships with students and classroom management strategies, according to the release. McBride said the sessions are aimed to help students prepare for future teacher employment. "This helps students get a realistic concept of how to prepare for a career in education and to get a sense if this is the right field for them," McBride said in the release. Mark Shermis, dean at the University of Houston-Clear Lake's College of Education, said they were happy to host the event. "We are so pleased to host this very first symposium," Shermis said in the press release. "These students are all looking to become public school teachers, and we hope to be an inspiration for them, and we hope UHCL will be the place for them to begin their training a year or two down the road."