College of Education News

Taking the leap to follow her passion

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Alumna Brittnie Morrison, ‘21, started at Missouri State University as a pre-nursing major.  

“As a first-generation student, everyone talked about how proud they were of me and how proud they were to say they were going to have a nurse in the family,” Morrison said.  

But in her third semester, she realized that she lost her passion for nursing.  

“I couldn’t help but feel like I was wasting my time and money working toward a goal I no longer cared about,” she said. 

She contemplated dropping out of college, but her job at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield took her in an unexpected direction.  

The switch to teaching 

As the semester progressed, Morrison learned that she loved working with kids. Her job became her escape from the stresses of college. 

“No matter how much stress I felt from my schoolwork, I always felt instant relief when I walked through the doors of the Boys & Girls Club,” she said. “That’s when I knew education was my calling.” 

Morrison changed her major to elementary education and began classes in spring 2019.  

“Once I changed my major, Missouri State became home,” she said. “I had my first practicum at York Elementary School. I walked out of the school and began crying because I knew I was in the right spot.” 

Morrison said that the professors in the College of Education went out of their way to make every student feel like they belong.  

“The passion they have for teaching is radiating,” she said. “There aren’t enough words to express how proud I am to be a bear.”  

Back to her roots 

Morrison completed her student-teaching and is now a fifth-grade teacher at the school district she went to for kindergarten through high school.  

“The Raymore-Peculiar community helped raise me,” she said. “I have so many amazing memories from Peculiar Elementary as a student, and now I get to make more as a teacher.”  

Teaching has been the most rewarding job she’s ever had. Her favorite part is building relationships with her students. 

“That’s truly why I teach. If I can make a difference in just one child’s life, then I am happy.”

Morrison feels that her time at MSU prepared her to be a successful teacher.  

“But it is tough. For anyone who is in an education program, I suggest they lean on their professors and peers,” she said. “They were always there for me when I needed clarification, and I am grateful for the experience.” 

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MSU alumna goes above and beyond

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Christy Osborne, a recent graduate of Missouri State University who teaches at Central Park Elementary, was recognized for her outstanding teaching.  

She was awarded the Teacher of the Year for the Monett School District.  

Osborne graduated from Missouri State in May 2022 with a master’s in elementary education and a graduate certificate in dyslexia. She is currently in her 10th year of teaching third grade.   

Osborne’s colleagues nominated her for the award because she goes above and beyond for her students.  

Using her passion to help others 

Several years into her teaching career, Osborne believed she had more to learn to be the best teacher for her students. She enrolled in the master’s program while teaching full-time. 

However, during the beginning of her coursework, she did not feel driven. She felt that her priorities needed to be fully on her teaching career, so she put the program on hold.  

She later noticed that some of her students were showing dyslexic qualities and realized she did not have the training to teach them.  

“The students felt dumb, and they thought something was wrong with them,” Osborne said. “I knew I needed more specialized training on how to help these students realize that they are smart and help them succeed academically.” 

When she discovered that Missouri State had a graduate certificate in dyslexia, she rejoined the program. She thought it was what she needed to help the struggling readers she sees every day.  

“Once I heard about the dyslexia certificate, I knew I had chosen the right college and picked up right where I left off,” Osborne said.  

During the last year of her program, she put what she learned from her studies into practice and won Monett Teacher of the Year.   

Asking for help to become a better teacher  

Throughout Osborne’s teaching career, she learned the importance of asking questions. 

“One of the most challenging aspects when I began teaching was asking for help,” Christy said.  

“Once I got my degree, I thought I should know exactly what I needed to do. I thought that if I asked too many questions, it meant that I was not a good teacher.”  

Osborne started talking with other teachers a few weeks into her first year of teaching and admitted that she felt overwhelmed. She discovered that she was not alone in her struggles.  

“After seeing teachers with years of experience still asking questions, I realized that in order to learn, you must continue to ask questions.”

Osborne’s ability to ask questions and admit when she needs help has allowed her to develop extraordinary teaching skills.   

She uses these teaching skills to help her students thrive in their academic and personal lives.  

“Making a difference in the day-to-day lives of my students is the most rewarding part of being a teacher,” Osborne said. 

“But to say that teaching is rewarding is not enough. Teaching students to be the best person they can be is the most important task teachers face.”  

As a recipient of the Monett Teacher of the Year award, Osborne has learned how to help students be the best version of themselves.  

Advice for future teachers 

Osborne advises future teachers to stick with their career through the difficult times. She said that teaching will be hard, physically and emotionally, and they will be thoroughly exhausted.  

But the challenges will be worth it. 

“The sparkle in the student’s eye when they overcome a struggle to understand something, the voice of confidence when the quiet student raises a hand to give an insightful answer and the smile on the students’ faces make the difficult parts of teaching seem so unimportant,” Osborn said. 

“These children are the future of our world. We make today better for our students; they make tomorrow better for all of us.”

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Joan Armstrong inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who

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Joan Armstong, alumna and current staff member of Missouri State University, was recently inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who biographical registry.  

Armstong earned a Master of Science in school counseling from Missouri State in 1987. She is now the director of Project ACCESS, which offers training, resources and support services to school district personnel who serve students with autism and related developmental disabilities.  

The Marquis Who’s Who registry holds biographies of accomplished individuals and innovators from many significant fields including medicine, law and education.  

Read the full biography  

Congratulations, Ms. Armstrong!  

Serving individuals with autism

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Finding your passion within a field can make all the difference in motivating you to pursue your dreams.  

As a freshman at Missouri State University, Taylor Janota worked as a nanny for a young boy who had autism. In this role, she observed certified speech language pathologists, physical therapists and behavioral analysts as they worked with their client.  

Janota working in her role as a board-certified behavior analyst

“This little boy didn’t have any way of communicating with others, but we were able to work with him to build that skill set,” Janota, now a board-certified behavior analyst for Emergent Learning Center in St. Louis, Missouri said. “It was cool to see the collaborative process and the critical thinking that had to happen in order to set this child up for success.” 

With a passion for autism and language, Janota pursued her bachelor’s in speech language pathology and started in a graduate program.  

She soon discovered that she missed the behavioral side of working in therapy, so she refocused her graduate path to a master’s in special education with an autism emphasis.  

She also set her sights on applied behavior analyst (ABA) credentials, which she could prepare for with the experiences from her graduate program.  

Professional experiences  

As a graduate student, Janota worked closely with her professors, collaborated across departments and did practicums in school and clinical settings.  

“I was able to conduct research and do a lot of different things within the realm of autism,” Janota said. “I got experience working with kids, practicing intakes and data collection – all the skills that I use now in my career.”  

The ABA credentials are acquired after passing a national certification exam, which is taken separately from the typical classwork.  

“The exam is known as ‘the beast,’ and it is a little nerve-racking,” Janota laughed. “It definitely took some studying, but I was very surprised with how well prepared I felt for it.” 

Celebrating little victories  

In her career, Janota has learned to appreciate growing with her clients.  

“When you’re going into this field, you are going to learn a lot about these individuals who you’re serving and you’re going to learn a lot about yourself,” Janota said. “I’m someone who likes to see progress quickly, but I’ve realized that’s not life.” 

Janota works consistently with the same clients in a clinical setting, so she gets to see her clients in each step of their journey.  

“This work has given me a new lens for looking at progress,” Janota said. “Even if it’s just a little bit of progress, that’s progress, and that’s something to be celebrated.” 

Explore autism spectrum disorder graduate programs

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.