College of Education News

Building a support network for LGBTQ teacher candidates

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“As a lesbian and an educator, who taught in Arkansas K-12 schools, I have experienced first-hand many of the challenges facing our LGBTQ teacher candidates,” said Dr. Stephanie Huffman.

She lists challenges like acceptance, identity, K-12 school community supports, misconceptions, bias and religious beliefs as among the most prevalent.

Huffman, department head of the reading foundations and technology department at Missouri State University, is a member of the College of Education Diversity Taskforce and a leader of the LGBTQ+ Advocacy subcommittee.

These groups strive to create an inclusive environment for all.

“It came to our attention that a support system needed to be developed and implemented for LGBTQ teacher candidates, especially during teaching internships,” Huffman said. “These challenges can make an already stressful time that much more challenging.”

Building the network

The LGBTQ+ Advocacy subcommittee is developing the support system for roll out in fall 2021. Through the COE Advising Center, students will have support through:

  • An allied database of area educators and school districts to assist with field placements.
  • A COE LGBTQ+ student organization.
  • Mentoring.

But this is just the beginning, Huffman notes.

“In addition, my door is open to any LGBTQ student.,” Huffman said.

Other supports will be added throughout the 2021-22 academic year.

“These supports will create an open and supportive environment in which LGBTQ teacher candidates can openly express who they are while growing as future teachers,” she said. “Our goal is to develop strong, talented and caring teachers for Missouri schools.”

 

College of education alumni share their story

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Kerry and Noma Montgomery are both alumni of the Missouri State University College of Education. Their story was recently shared in the spring 2021 issue of “Advancements” magazine, which is a publication of the Missouri State University Foundation. We are happy to share their full story here: 

Noma and Kerry Montgomery can’t remember a time when Missouri State basketball wasn’t in their lives.   

Noma’s dad, Donald Pollard, was born in 1914. He was the first person in his family to go to college when he attended MSU, which was then Southwest Missouri State Teachers College. “He had been an outstanding high school basketball player in Humansville, and played intramural basketball at MSU,” Noma said.  

When her dad graduated, she remained a Bears fan. “I am 78, and I started going to games as a little girl. I don’t remember ever not going.”  

Kerry has been a “rabid fan since the 1950s.” His dad, Lewis Montgomery, was also first in the family to attend college, and also went to then-SMS. His mother, Hazel, attended for two years before becoming a teacher.  

Kerry went to his first Bears game in 1952, when he was 16. “I attended a small high school nearby, so it was a big deal to go to the college campus. I got to see one of the Bears teams that won the NAIA championship.” Both Noma and Kerry later attended the university, sealing their love for Bears athletics forever.  

“My college days were just glorious”   

Kerry was on campus from 1954-58. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and physical education. “I was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity and really enjoyed that,” he said. “I am still very close with five or six of my brothers.”  

Noma was at the university from 1960-64. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in English. Noma was a cheerleader for basketball and football, putting her close to the sports action. “I still remember which area was my ‘cheer corner’ in McDonald Arena, and who sat there.  

“My college days were just glorious. They really were.” She made lifelong friends while at MSU. “What I probably cherish the most are the wonderful memories and lasting friendships I developed through my Tri Sigma sorority and other campus activities. I stay in contact with at least 15 or 20 of my sorority sisters. Some of them who are local, I see weekly.”  

The couple didn’t attend the university at the same time, but they met on campus — and again, there’s a basketball tie.” Her boyfriend at the time was one of my best friends,” Kerry said. “We were sitting in McDonald Arena watching people come in during a basketball game. I saw Noma and said, ‘There’s a cute girl.’” Kerry’s friend replied: ‘That’s my girlfriend!’”  

They officially met through that friend. When Kerry dated a friend of Noma’s, they even went on double dates — though not as each other’s dates! When those other relationships didn’t work out, they connected with each other. They married in 1966.   

Building careers and a family   

Both Noma and Kerry had careers after college. Noma taught school in Independence, Missouri, for two years. After marrying Kerry, she moved back to Springfield. She was an employment counselor, and retired from that to raise their two sons, Scott and Grant (who have given them seven grandchildren). 

“When the children were grown, I worked in Branson for about 25 years as a tour guide.” She would meet groups at the airport, host tours on buses and take people to shows and attractions. “It was one of the most enjoyable jobs a person could ever have — like being on vacation all the time!” She retired about two years ago.  

Kerry continued his education after MSU. He earned a master’s degree in secondary school administration from the University of Missouri, and then a juris doctor degree from MU’s law school. He worked for a law firm, then the prosecutor’s office, and next went into private practice. In 1991, then-Gov. John Ashcroft appointed Kerry to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District. Kerry worked there until retiring in 2003, and served one three-year term as chief judge in those 12 years.  

He said his start at MSU set him up for success. “My professors and the academics in general were excellent. Dr. Duane Meyer (who later became the university president) was my history teacher. I sat in the first class he ever taught at SMS. What a wonderful professor. We later became friends, and I always had such respect for him.”   

Supporting their teams for 40+ years   

The couple kept many MSU connections through the years. In fact, Kerry served as Alumni Association president in the 1970s. 

When the Missouri State University Foundation was started, Kerry and Noma were a natural fit to become some of its first supporters. Kerry, who is a huge proponent of exercise and fitness — “I still play golf almost every day, weather permitting” — especially wanted to give to Bears athletics. “I bought my first season pass to basketball games in 1965,” Kerry said. “Every year since then, I have had season tickets.  

I think if you help one program, you are helping all of them — there’s more funds to spread around.”  

They plan to continue giving as long as they can, he said. “We want to help any efforts to guide our school and make it the best it can be.” 

Learn more about the MSU Foundation.

Ungrading: shifting the classroom focus back to learning

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“If my curriculum and pedagogy aren’t sufficiently engaging, is that an argument to rely on grades to coerce students into doing what I want?” 

This is a quote from Alfie Kohn’s foreword to “UNgrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead).”  

The book inspired Dr. Chloe Bolyard, assistant professor in Missouri State University’s department of childhood education and family studies (CEFS).  

Now Bolyard is looking for ways to take the emphasis off grades in her classroom.  

She first heard about the topic of ungrading through interactions on Twitter between various education professionals.  

Ungrading is a classroom philosophy that emphasizes feedback rather than scores or letter grades.  

“We all define it differently, but I think the goal is the same,” Bolyard said. “It’s a focus on learning.” 

What ungrading looks like  

When Bolyard adopted this new philosophy, she had to decide what specific things she would need to change in her classroom to align with ungrading. 

“You can’t just get rid of letter grades and say that you’re ungrading,” Bolyard said. “It carries over into all of the decisions you make as a teacher.”  

This spring was Bolyard’s first semester implementing ungrading.  

Some noticeable changes in her methodology:  

  • Shifting from scores and rubrics to narrative feedback. 
  • Creating flexible deadlines or “best by” dates.  
  • Having students self-assess and reflect on their learning throughout the semester. 
  • Asking students to suggest their grade at the mid-point and end of the semester. 

“My whole goal with ungrading, aside from focusing on learning, is to make my work with students more humanizing,” Bolyard said. 

Rewards of ungrading  

A big part of ungrading for Bolyard has been considering what she can do to acknowledge her students’ humanity.  

“My students are humans. They’re not just students in my class. They have other classes, and they have life beyond Blackboard,” Bolyard said.  

“Humanizing is recognizing that these students are doing a whole lot. The semester is full of unknowns in terms of their health, their family members’ health, their schedule, their mental wellbeing.” 

Already, Bolyard has received feedback from her students about how functional ungrading has been for them.  

“Students have commented about appreciating the flexibility,” Bolyard said. “They don’t need to apologize to me for turning in things that they perceive as late.”   

“One student has been really vocal about how it has helped her to learn so much, and to push herself to take more creative risks,” Bolyard said.   

Challenges of ungrading  

Ungrading is not an easier version of traditional classroom grading. There are many challenges to face when adopting a philosophy that goes against the status quo.  

“Part of the ungrading conversation is figuring out how the teacher navigates institutional requirements to still submit a final grade,” Bolyard said. “Some folks who’ve adopted ungrading may still use grades but use fewer grades. Or assignments might be worth fewer points.”  

Another challenge is how to set clear expectations while giving students more creative freedom.  

“Students don’t like ambiguity when it comes to a teacher’s expectations,” Bolyard said.  

Self-assessment is one of the most important aspects of ungrading. In Bolyard’s classes this semester, students are using self-assessments and determining their own grade.  

“I had a student tell me that she doesn’t know how to grade herself or evaluate herself. That’s another reason why we need to do this,” Bolyard said. “If students can’t evaluate how they’re doing for themselves, I think that’s problematic.”   

Another challenge is the different workload that ungrading requires.  

“It’s way more work intensive for me. It takes longer to leave narrative feedback than to check boxes on a rubric,” Bolyard said.  

Getting started with ungrading 

Ungrading, as a classroom philosophy, is still an emerging conversation. Bolyard just wrapped up her first semester using it in her classroom, and she admits there is still a lot for her to discover. 

“I’m going to spend a lot of time this summer reflecting on what I think went well and looking at student feedback from the end of the semester,” Bolyard said.  

 She also acknowledges that she has a lot of freedom in her position to be able to try different approaches to student evaluation.  

“I have a lot of privilege in my position in higher ed to say yes to ungrading,” Bolyard said. “I recognize for other people, depending on a number of factors, that it might be something they need to more carefully consider.” 

The challenges for getting started with ungrading may look different depending on each person’s situation, so she offers some advice for educators who are interested in using ungrading in their classroom.  

“Read as much as you can, talk to other people who are doing it, and find a community who can support you,” Bolyard said. “Don’t feel like you have to completely toss grades out from every assignment. Maybe you just choose a couple of assignments, and you see what happens when you don’t use grades on those assignments.”   

Join the conversation. Read about #Ungrading on Twitter.   

College of Education alumni recognized as outstanding beginning teachers

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Being a beginner at anything can be difficult. For beginners Kaitlin Voss and Marcus Bullard, alumni of Missouri State’s education program, there was no shortage of difficulties as they began their teaching careers.  

Their hard work to overcome the many challenges they face as teachers is not going unnoticed. Bullard and Voss have both been recognized as Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE) 2021 Outstanding Beginning Teachers. 

Voss graduated in 2019 with her bachelor’s in education of the deaf and hard of hearing and in 2020 with her master’s in the education of deaf and hard of hearing. She is currently a third-grade teacher at the Kansas School for the Deaf.  

Bullard graduated in 2019 with his bachelor’s in elementary education and in 2020 with his master’s in educational technology. He is currently a second-grade teacher at Westport Elementary.  

Q&A with outstanding beginning teachers 

Both teachers shared details about their careers, offered helpful advice for the classroom and relayed pleasant memories from their time at Missouri State:  

What was the most challenging aspect as you began teaching?  

Voss: Figuring out what works best for each of my students is definitely the biggest challenge. And, of course, COVID has been an added struggle, but if I can get that done in my first year, then I guess the rest will be a breeze. 

Bullard: Navigating through a new school, learning things about curriculum, managing student conflict and helping students have productive conversations with each other were probably my biggest challenges. Coming from MSU, I felt prepared with being creative, and I had strategies that I could use. In your first year of teaching, you learn a whole different set of strategies. Going into a school, you kind of have an idea of how the school works, but you don’t truly know the culture of the school or how the students function day to day.  

How were you able to overcome those challenges as a new teacher?  

Voss: Talking with other teachers. Thankfully, I have such a great support system – teachers, my principal – they’re all amazing. Also, I ask my kids. I honestly rely on them because they know themselves. Having them as an active participant in trying to figure everything out definitely helps.   

Bullard: Last year I was in a team of four teachers teaching in the second grade. Having them as a support system was a huge deal for me. I learned  that it’s okay to lean on other people. You’re not in this teaching world alone. So, seeing all these positive role models influenced my own teaching. 

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a teacher?  

Voss: Just seeing their faces – like when we came back from spring break – and seeing those lightbulb moments and the little connections that they make is so rewarding. It makes the challenges all worth it.   

Bullard: The most rewarding thing is being able to be a positive role model for my kids.  

Elementary Program Coordinator, Dr. Stefanie Livers and Dr. Minor Baker make a congratulatory visit to Mr. Marcus Bullard in his classroom at Westport K-8 school

What is one thing that you learned while at MSU that has paid off to know as you began your career in education?  

Voss: MSU did a great job of readying me for this diverse group of students with skills like utilizing your visuals, acting things out and making it as engaging as possible. Also, we have a preschool at Missouri State in Ann Kampeter Health Sciences Hall. That was probably my favorite experience, just to be able to have that connection right there: you sit in class, you learn and then you walk downstairs, and you get to apply it to real life. 

Bullard: My focus was educational technology for my graduate degree, so having a background in how to facilitate learning online was definitely a big help. With COVID, it was scary because we didn’t know when we were going to see our kids again or how we were going to be effective teachers. If I didn’t have those classes, I wouldn’t have been able to be successful with virtual learning. 

What is one of your favorite memories from your time at Missouri State?  

Voss: Being able to see the deaf community in action was probably the coolest experience – just going to the mall for a chat or to a coffee shop to hang out. We also had a big picnic together with people who are deaf and hard of hearing in Springfield and surrounding areas – one in the fall and one in the spring. So, yeah, MSU was the greatest experience I could have ever asked for in a college, and not just in my program, but in the Springfield community.  

Bullard: One of my favorite memories was the first night – meeting people that I know will probably be in the rest of my life. I lived in a Living Learning Community (LLC) and there was a night at the rec center where LLC students could mix and mingle. Without MSU, I wouldn’t have the little close-knit group of friends that I have. I’m in Springfield and they’re in St. Louis and we still talk every day.   

Cheating in the time of COVID-19: An ongoing study

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Are my students cheating? 

That question looms over every teacher. With the shift to virtual learning due to the pandemic, some questioned if there was a way to prevent cheating at all. 

Professors at Missouri State, Marshall and Kansas State universities are examining the issue of cheating, specifically, whether the conditions of the pandemic caused an uptick in academic dishonesty.  

The original study  

Eleven years ago, while working at Marshall University, Dr. James Sottile, professor in MSU’s counseling, leadership and special education (CLSE) department, conducted research to determine if college students were cheating. Then, he compared cheating in seated courses to that of online classes.  

The results of the 2010 study showed that while some students were cheating, there was not a significant difference between the likelihood of cheating in person versus online.  

“Everybody assumed people would cheat more online, but that wasn’t the case,” Sottile said. “If people are given the opportunity to cheat, they’re going to cheat. That’s pretty similar for being online or face to face.” 

Data during the pandemic  

Considering the changes in class delivery during the pandemic, Sottile, along with Dr. Bonni Behrend, also a professor in the CLSE department, embarked on a follow-up cheating study.  

Not only did the pandemic present an interesting environment, but technological advancements over the past decade were also factors to consider.  

“Classes that were traditionally brick and mortar now have this virtual component,” Behrend said. “When you’re forced into a virtual setting, you maybe don’t have the time or the capabilities to think outside the box about what students could be doing whenever you’re giving them a test.” 

Sottile and his colleagues collected data through a survey like the one used in the original study. They added additional questions to gauge if students were more likely to cheat since the pandemic began. 

Survey results from 698 college student participants show that students may have cheated more during the pandemic.  

Survey results to the question: Have you cheated more or less since the COVID-19 pandemic (February 2020) than before the pandemic?

Sottile, Behrend and their co-researchers will return to the study for a third time with more specific questions including:  

  • What percent of students in your live classes do you believe cheat at least once during the semester? 
  • What percent of students in your online classes do you believe cheat at least once during the semester? 

They hope to narrow down their results to the most accurate depiction of what has happened during the pandemic.  

“It needs to be also stated that a lot of people said they don’t cheat at all, and that’s good,” Behrend said. “But I think as we get more sophisticated with technology, our curriculum and the ways that we deliver education, we have to anticipate the needs.” 

Addressing the issue of cheating 

According to major psychological theorists, people who cheat are often motivated by how cheating will benefit them.  

When it comes to academics, Sottile explained that the more competitive the atmosphere is, the higher the rates of cheating tend to be.  

For example, the original research showed that:  

  • Graduate students tend to cheat slightly more than undergraduate students. 
  • Athletes tend to cheat slightly more than non-athletes.  
  • Men tend to cheat slightly more than women. 

However, Sottile and his colleagues proposed that the solution is not to remove the competitive element. Rather, they would like to raise the moral standards students are held to in academics.  

“The way you increase a person’s moral development, which is backed up by research, is to provide them with ‘what if’ scenarios and codes of ethics,” Sottile said.  

Academic integrity at Missouri State  

Sottile affirmed academic integrity policies in place at Missouri State are adequate if they are supported by teachers and administrators.  

“I think everyone needs to be more aware of what we can do to prevent people from cheating, or decreasing the chances of cheating, as well as increasing a person’s moral development,” Sottile said.  

Behrend notes the purpose of conducting research on topics like this is not to highlight the negative, but to acknowledge that there is room for improvement.  

“People are going to cheat to meet a need,” Behrend explained. “We have to think about what we can do on the backside to be proactive about it as educators, as people who are educating the next leaders. At Missouri State, we talk about the public affairs mission in that way – how it helps to create greater thinkers.” 

MSU academic integrity policies   

Academic integrity resources for students