FTE Staff Spotlight – Austin Green

FTE Mentor Teacher, high school teacher, adjunct professor, Chick-fil-A fanatic – there are many titles for Austin Green. As a Mentor Teacher for FTE, Austin instructs both student and teacher programs. While he currently lives in Milton, Georgia, Austin is originally from Dallas and roots for the Dallas Cowboys through good and (what can seem like mostly) bad times.  

Since gaining his bachelor’s degree in history education from Kennesaw State University Austin has been teaching for the past 12 years. But teaching was not always his plan. Originally, he had his sights set on law school – until he realized he truly enjoyed his part time job with high school students. As he progressed through his collegiate coursework, his focus was history – not economics.  

“We see how well that worked out for me,” he jokes. 

Currently, Austin teaches AP Micro and Macroeconomics at Milton High School. He has observed that students grasp macroeconomics concepts faster than in microeconomics, which he attributes to microeconomics being more math-based than theoretical. Regardless of the coursework, Austin stresses the importance of economics so students can realize “economics is all around us… everything we do involves economics!” 

Economics surrounding us and being used in individual’s daily lives is a core concept of FTE’s Economics for Leaders program. Each summer, Austin works with fellow FTE staff members to show students how economics and leadership are intertwined. This blend is his favorite part of the program.  

“Some students come just wanting the economics and not realizing that good leaders are thinking at the margin all the time.” 

The program blends classroom and practical skills, teaching economics through hands-on lectures and activities, unlike traditional methods. Austin’s first experience with FTE methods occurred seven years ago. 

In 2017, while looking into professional development programs near him, Austin found and attended Economic Issues for Teachers.  Not only did he learn about a variety of topics such as international trade and the federal budget, he also received lesson plans to engage his students and experienced a new standard of professional development. “Debbie Henney and Ken Leonard rocked my world on what to expect from excellent professional development.”  

From there, Austin started attending every FTE program he could, both in person and online. As he attended more programs, his friend and fellow FTE Mentor Teacher, Eric Fields, began pushing his name to FTE Executive Director Ted Tucker. In 2021, Austin received a call from Ted to inform him that FTE was in need of a backup Mentor Teacher in case anyone became ill and could not instruct at their scheduled program. In response to the call, Austin stated he was willing to clear his schedule and fly to any location to instruct if needed that summer.  

Austin is a proactive leader and educator and strives to help teachers and students both further their economics education. He has published papers in the Journal of Economics Teaching and the Journal of Economics Education, and he continues to seek furthering his own education by taking classes and looking into PhD programs.   

During his time working with the Foundation for Teaching Economics, Austin has opened his network to some of the most incredible colleagues and educators. Between the friends-turned-colleagues, mentors, and exceptional professional development experiences, Austin has the following advice for teachers considering attending an FTE program:  

“Yes! Go! Even if you have already attended, go again. If there is a different mentor teacher or professor, you will learn something new and pick up ideas to use in class.” 

Austin is a testament to the Economic Way of Thinking; helping educators and students alike use economics in their daily lives – and see how they already do. The Foundation for Teaching Economics looks forward to working with Austin for many years to come!