Teach Them for the World They Will Live In
March 04, 2026
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping students connect what they’re learning now to where they want to go in the future. Relevance is key and should always be at the forefront. Students are more engaged and motivated when they see how classroom learning ties directly into their post-secondary education and career goals.
As an alternative education teacher of “at-risk” students, I’ve never been comfortable with the term “at-risk” when referring to my students. I’ve found that the term would better describe my students if it were extrapolated out to say, “at-risk of not being successful sitting at a desk.” My students are brilliant. It is up to me to find out how to get them to display that.
I love my community. THE most rewarding part of my job teaching in a small community is seeing the result of my work every single week. When my son broke his arm, the ER nurse was a former student. When I needed my car repaired in a hurry, the technician was a former student. If you need concrete done, I have a former student for that. Small engine work … a former student. We needed a volunteer to coach my son’s basketball team. His coach was one of my former students. My Rolodex is full of healthy, happy, productive members of society! Students otherwise written off.
That’s why I believe in designing a curriculum that not only covers academic standards but also aligns with the real-world skills students will need beyond high school. Whether a student is heading to college, a trade school, the military or straight into the workforce, our instruction should give them a strong foundation to succeed.
For example, when teaching about ancient world history, I don’t focus on dates, I focus on conceptual learning with an emphasis on how diverse groups form an interconnected society. I include project-based learning where appropriate so that students learn to work as a team for a common goal.
I help facilitate a weekly program for my students called “Jobs for Michigan Graduates,” or JMG for short. It gives students opportunities to explore careers, research colleges and even collaborate with local professionals. Rather than teach students how to complete an application, we find jobs that they want and walk them through the actual application.
By making learning relevant and forward-looking, we help students build confidence and purpose. The goal isn’t just to graduate high school. The goal is to prepare them for what’s next! As I tell all my graduates, "I can’t wait to see you a decade from now and hear all of the amazing things you are doing!"
I'll gladly add another former student to my Rolodex for when a need pops up! After all, education should be a bridge, not a barrier, to their future.
2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year Corey Rosser is a social studies teacher at Quest High School in North Branch Area Schools in his 22nd year of teaching.