Education Club at WPU Welcomes the Iowa Teacher of the Year
10/31/2018
As the world of education continues to grow, the need for motivated and dedicated educators grows with it. The Education Club at William Penn University is organized and led by students who are driven to be great teachers. This club provides students the opportunity to collaborate with other education students, both elementary and secondary. Their monthly meeting allows the students to discuss what is trending in the world of education while developing their professional skills. One of the most recent opportunities these students had was to meet with the Iowa Teacher of the Year award recipient, Aileen Sullivan.
Sullivan attended an Education Club gathering on October 23, 2018 on the William Penn University Oskaloosa campus and brought with her the need for a broader perspective. She shared that her inspiration to teach stemmed from her family of educators. Aileen stated she was a star-finder—she looks for the ‘star’ every day.
To get the WPU Education Club members involved, Sullivan shared a list of the top 12 things that great teachers do. She then instructed the students to break out into small groups and put the given descriptors in order of importance. Each group then shared why they chose the top 12 descriptors.
“[The activity] was an engaging session, learning about what great teachers do in their classrooms!” said Papae Wymore, WPU Instructor of Education and Education Club Advisor.
The message Sullivan shared to the students was to know that it is imperative to value the student perspective in order to become a successful classroom teacher. Wymore states that the words Sullivan shared with her students are things that make her want to come to school every day and teach.
Sullivan’s values directly complement the Education division’s curriculum at Penn. In courses like EDSP 100: Introduction to Exceptional Learners, EDUC 355: Classroom Management, EDUC 365: Human Relations for Teachers, and many other courses, Penn Education students are being taught to meet the needs of a diverse body of students.
“By valuing the students’ perspective,” said Wymore. “Pre-service teachers can provide emotionally safe environments, in which all students can learn.”
For more information, contact:
Miranda Keeler
Communications/Event Coordinator
641-673-1078 | keelerm@wmpenn.edu