College of Education News

Graduating senior returns to hometown for teaching position

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Graduating Missouri State University senior and Marshfield native Michaela Bledsoe was excited to return home this semester for her student teaching duties. 

“I built such a great connection with this community and I wanted to continue that for my adult life,” said Bledsoe, an elementary education major.  

She always considered rural education the obvious career path for her. 

“The community offers so many ways to connect to students,” she said. “Whether it’s at sporting events, church or even just from their backyard, kids really enjoy seeing the same people in their small town.” 

Ozarks Teacher Corps supports rural education 

For the past two years as a student at Missouri State, Bledsoe has been a part of the Ozarks Teacher Corps (OTC).  

OTC is a scholarship run by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks that provides financial aid to future educators and helps put them in rural classrooms. OTC connects education students through professional development events, building a network of rural education leaders. 

She first heard about OTC from her academic advisor at Missouri State. As of 2019, OTC has a teacher-placement rate of 92%.  

Bledsoe found connecting with her peers through OTC an enriching experience. 

“It’s not just about my classroom; it’s about education as a whole,” she said.  

“We all have the desire to improve and teach the next generation of students. Being with people who are excited about kids and students is just so energizing.” 

A teaching job secured 

While Bledsoe’s time as a student teacher is ending with her graduation from MSU this May, her relationship with Marshfield R-I School District is not.  

It offered her a fifth grade teaching position starting this fall. 

“I’m so thankful I get to go back home for my first year of teaching, and hopefully for many more,” she said. 

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MSU expert: Let’s celebrate teachers by paying them more

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Yesterday was the first day of National Teacher Appreciation Week, officially dedicated to say thank you to the extraordinary educators who work tirelessly with students and families throughout the year.

Dr. Jon Turner, associate professor of education and leadership at Missouri State University, spends much of his time advocating for Missouri teachers, especially in rural districts.

This year, he says there are simply less teachers to appreciate as a national shortage continues to plague the profession.

Turner talks about the reasons why and what we can do to fix it going forward.

What can be done to fix the teacher shortage issue

Read the full transcript

Dr. Jennice McCafferty-Wright selected for a Fullbright-Hays summer fellowship abroad

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Join us in congratulating Missouri State University’s Dr. Jennice McCafferty-Wright on being selected for a summer 2024 fellowship to Tanzania-Zanzibar hosted by the School of International Training.  

“Tuko Pamoja: Tanzanian Creativity and Perspectives in an Era of Climate Change,” is funded by a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad grant from the Department of Education. Only six U.S. professors were selected for this incredible opportunity. 

“I’m so grateful my colleague Dr. Sarah Nixon forwarded the application to me,” said McCafferty-Wright, assistant professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Sciences. “Schools, communities, coral reefs, Kilimanjaro, nature reserves, an introduction to Swahili — this promises to be an incredibly memorable journey!” 

The five-week fellowship will focus on providing ways for educators to bring African perspectives into their classrooms when discussing climate change. This connects to the work she has begun as an MSU sustainability fellow. 

“I’m most excited about the opportunity to learn from and with educators and researchers in Tanzania-Zanzibar,” McCafferty-Wright said. 

In this fellowship, she will hear from a wide variety of voices, ranging from Tanzanian policymakers to smallholder farmers in the Maasai community.  

“International relationships and experiences can help us think about our work in a more complex way,” McCafferty-Wright said. “The work I’m doing will also help me establish collaborative relationships for projects that will ultimately benefit our students.” 

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Education students speak at MACTE spring conference

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In her courses for the elementary education program, Missouri State University’s Dr. Amber Howard teaches theories on competency-based-learning (CBL).  

MSU teacher candidates have brought these theories to the classroom through student teaching. 

Earlier this semester, assistant professor Howard and a group of MSU student teachers spoke at the Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE) conference in Columbia, Missouri. 

The students presented two different sessions. The first session was a panel discussion featuring Abbie Adkins, Tyler Crane, Avery Davis and Alyssa Mayo. Crane also presented at the second session. 

CBL and ungrading 

The group panel discussed the K-12 CBL initiatives in the state and how MSU is modeling CBL for their teacher candidates. The four students also shared their personal experiences with ungrading and standards-based grading. Ungrading refers to the practice of building a focus on mastering competencies instead of points and letter grades. 

“I’m so proud of how all four students spoke so articulately about their experiences,” Howard said. “Several teacher educators from across the state said this was their favorite session of the whole conference and I could not agree more.” 

Elevating the perception of the teaching profession 

In her individual presentation, Crane shared her research about improving the perception of teachers through the relationship among teachers, students and their families.   

“Tyler did a phenomenal job sharing her findings so articulately and facilitating conversation with teacher educators across the state around such an important topic,” Howard said. “I definitely had one of those proud teacher feelings watching her present.” 

Crane notes it was an honor to present at the conference. 

“The conference was a very valuable and unforgettable experience,” Crane said. “This was my first time attending an education conference. Getting to meet, hear from and present to other professionals in education was fulfilling.” 

Howard is grateful for the support from College of Education Dean Barri Tinkler and the college to take students to this year’s MACTE.  

“Getting students involved in activities like sharing at MACTE centers their voices in rooms where decisions are being made,” Howard said. “It’s vital to our education process. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to give them this platform.” 

Learn more about CBL programs

Ask an Expert: Advice for counseling students

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Pursuing a counseling career in the state of Missouri can be a rewarding professional choice. Persistent challenges within the state’s mental health care system will likely sustain robust demand for newly trained professionals for years to come.

The 2023 Mental Health America report noted Missouri’s overall ranking as 39th place in the United States.

Dr. Karrie Swan, graduate counseling program director at Missouri State University, spoke with CounselingSchools.com about becoming a counselor.