Teachers today not only have the responsibility to teach the next generation, but also face unprecedented challenges both in and outside of the classroom. Teacher education needs to evolve to give teachers more experiential knowledge to equip them to face the challenges of being an educator to address the needs of the constituencies they serve. A senior at Lakeland majoring in Education and minoring in English, Emily is heavily involved in music as a member of band and choir, and the campus A Capella group. Her passion for working with kids started as a summer camp counselor in high school and has translated over in her love of education. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx