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College of Education News

How to better care for children in crisis

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From traumatic injuries to natural disasters to violent incidents and more, first responders respond to hundreds of emergency events involving children every day.  

“Over nine million children in the United States receive emergency medical care for unintentional injuries annually,” said Dr. Lindsey Murphy, assistant professor of child life studies at Missouri State University.  

She conducted a research project to examine how first responders perceive and manage children’s reactions during emergencies. 

The goal was to dig deeper into first responders’ experiences with children during emergencies and their roles in meeting children’s psychosocial needs, as well as identify gaps in services to support these needs.  

With help from her colleague Dr. Elizabeth King, associate professor of child and family development, the article titled “The Lived Experiences of First Responders During Emergency Events Involving Children: Child Reactions, First Responder Roles, and Additional Needs” was published in The Journal of Child Life in December 2024. 

“The role of a first responder is sustaining life and supporting safety,” Murphy said. “The first responders I interviewed mentioned how helpful support would be, since they can’t always prioritize the patient and child’s needs.” 

Read the full article

A move from downtown Springfield to campus

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In December 2024, 56 College of Education (COE) faculty and staff who had been working in the Park Central Office Building downtown moved to Hill Hall on the Missouri State University campus.  

The COE is now centered in three key buildings: Hill Hall, the Child Development Center and Greenwood Laboratory School. 

COE Dean Dr. Barri Tinkler has expressed her excitement at the recent move. 

“It’s amazing to have more of our faculty and staff together in Hill Hall,” she said. “Given the 100-year history of this building and its ties to teacher education, it feels very meaningful to have everyone together in this building.” 

Welcome back

The move from downtown brought key programs back to Hill Hall.  

Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning 

The headquarters for the Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning (ATLL) moved into room 312 along with its director, Dr. Chuck Garner. Thirty-two ATLL staff members are now in offices on the fourth floor. 

Room 402 has been converted to an ATLL workshop room. Teachers will be able to attend professional development training in this room. 

Project Access 

The headquarters for Project Access includes the director Joan Armstrong, the administrative team and information technology support specialist. This office is now room 317. Other staff members of the Project Access team can be found on the fourth floor.  

Room 447 will soon be converted from a computer lab to a Project Access workshop room. Teachers will be able to attend training in this room. 

Location of schools 

The COE’s two schools also moved. 

School of Special Education, Leadership and Professional Studies 

The School of Special Education, Leadership and Professional Studies’ (SELPS) main office is now on the third floor in room 318. The school director, Dr. Kayla Robinson, and her administrative team are also in that room. Other SELPS faculty and staff can be found on the third and fourth floors. 

SELPS is home to these programs: 

School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Sciences 

The School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Sciences’ (TDLS) main office is now on the third floor in room 319. The school director, Dr. Minor Baker, and his administrative team are also in that room. Other TLDS faculty and staff can be found on the third and fourth floors. 

TLDS is home to these programs:  

Learn more about the College of Education

Missouri State receives $70,000 grant to promote education programs

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Thanks to a $70,000 grant award from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Missouri State University will be able to draw students into the education field. 

The funds are part of the annual Developing an Educator Workforce that Expands Yearly (DEWEY) Awards. 

Dr. Denise Cunningham, a professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Sciences and a co-director for the Center for Rural Education, wrote the grant proposal. She believed MSU’s College of Education could meet the state’s need for more teachers.  

“The new report out by the DESE, states the highest shortage areas are elementary education and early childhood education teachers,” she said. “MSU is in the position to be able to meet that need.” 

The grant money will go toward a range of on campus high school recruitment events. These events aim to draw students into the teaching field, often from rural backgrounds.  

Bears Teach 

The DEWEY grant will fund the college’s summer immersion program, Bears Teach. This residential program allows students to stay on campus for a week to participate in education-related activities.  

The students are involved in: 

  • Sessions about college funding and finances 
  • Sessions about student organizations 
  • Classroom observations in their chosen field 
  • Alumni banquet – students can ask questions of current professionals 
  • Leadership night – students learn about the education career ladder 
  • Springfield experiences, such as a Springfield Cardinals game and Incredible Pizza 
  • Fun activities, such as karaoke night and movie night. 

According to Cunningham, the Bears Teach experience is designed to help students acclimate to campus life and familiarize themselves with Springfield.  

“After students come to Bears Teach, they say things like, ‘This cemented my decision to come to MSU and be a teacher,’” Cunningham said. “That’s why we do this.” 

Bears Teach Academy  

In her proposal, Cunningham also added a new program — Bears Teach Academy — to the list.  The academy will allow students who have previously attended Bears Teach and are beginning at MSU in fall 2025 to attend Bears Teach again in summer 2025. 

These students will also be able to take Child and Family Development (CFD) 155 Principles of Human Development for free as part of their experience. This course will count three credit hours as a general education course.  

Through these program offerings, Cunningham believes students will gain many opportunities to see what the teaching profession has to offer them.  

“We want to show high school students a variety of teaching settings and convince them that teaching is a joyful profession,” Cunningham said. “If we do that, we can meet the teacher shortage needs.” 

Young Mathematics Teacher Academy 

When submitting the grant, Cunningham made an effort to include funding for mathematics educators. As such, part of the money will support the mathematics department’s annual Young Mathematics Teacher Academy.  

Held in the summer, the residential academy helps participants to deepen their understanding of math and learn teaching strategies that support active learning.  

Cunningham notes math teachers are much needed.  

“Mathematics is a highly sought after degree by school districts, so I felt it was important to allocate funding to that area to encourage more students to be math teachers,” she said. 

Working with children and families 

One of the events funded by the DEWEY grant includes the “Working with children and families” fall and spring events. Local high schools bring students to the MSU campus to learn about education programs. 

The students can pick a breakout session to attend, which involves a hands-on experience with the career field. A panel of current education students speak at these events, sharing their experience as an MSU student.  

Students are also able to tour the campus and enjoy a free lunch.  

“Be a career and technical education teacher” day 

In addition, the funding from the DEWEY grant helps the career and technical education program (CTE) host students interested in agriculture education, business education or family and consumer sciences 

These students participate in activities based on their content area, hear from a panel of current MSU students and learn about admission and advising. Students also tour the MSU campus and are given a complimentary lunch. 

Learn more about the College of Education

A collaborative partnership between Missouri State University and Mark Twain Elementary

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In the fall of 2024, a unique and intentional partnership between Missouri State University and Mark Twain Elementary was launched. This collaboration aims to enhance the preparation of future educators while offering valuable resources and support to the teachers and students at Mark Twain Elementary. The journey to this collaboration, its structure, and its aspirations provide a compelling model for impactful educational partnerships.

The foundation of the partnership

This partnership began in February 2024, when Dr. Amber Howard, Dean’s Fellow at MSU, started collaborating with Blaine Broderick, principal of Mark Twain Elementary. They worked closely to create a mutually beneficial framework, meeting frequently to finalize plans. This effort followed a year-long initiative by Dr. Howard and MSU’s Competency-Based Learning (CBL) team to identify a suitable school partner and develop a collaborative approach. By the fall semester, the partnership was in full swing, with MSU faculty teaching classes at Twain and students gaining invaluable classroom experience.

Motivation and vision

The partnership stems from a broader initiative to support the implementation of CBL in schools as part of a Dean’s Fellowship project. “Our college students being able to work with early childhood and elementary students to apply the skills they are learning feels more directly connected to what they want to do with their careers, so it is really exciting for them,” shared Dr. Stacie Finley, highlighting the transformative impact of connecting theory to practice.

Initial efforts revealed the need for clarity and consistency in how CBL is introduced and practiced. Additionally, MSU recognized the dual benefits of placing education majors in classrooms earlier and more frequently: it not only enhances their readiness to lead their own classrooms but also provides schools with additional support for students and access to a pool of well-prepared, familiar teacher candidates.

A woman meets students in a classroom
Paige Allman, a student in Dr. Tammi Davis’s ELE 425 class, introduces herself to her penpals in Dawn Snapp’s class at Mark Twain Elementary.

Mark Twain Elementary was a natural fit for this partnership. Principal Broderick, an MSU alum, and his team’s commitment to fostering a supportive, collaborative environment aligned perfectly with MSU’s goals. For Dr. Howard, who spearheaded the partnership, Twain holds a special place as the first school where she felt truly at home as a teacher.

Structure and implementation

In the fall semester, five MSU faculty members taught portions of their courses at Mark Twain Elementary as part of this partnership:

  • Dr. Stacie Finley: LTC 318 Foundations of Literacy Instruction
  • Dr. Diana Piccolo: ELE 429 Math Methods
  • Dr. Tammi Davis: ELE 425 Writing Methods
  • Dr. Amber Howard: ELE 500 Current Issues in Elementary Education
  • Ellen Fogle: ELE 500 Current Issues in Elementary Education

These classes directly connect theoretical knowledge with practical application. For example:

  • Dr. Finley’s literacy class pairs MSU students with 22 Twain students for one-on-one tutoring sessions.
  • Dr. Davis’s writing methods course includes a pen pal project where MSU students correspond weekly with 21 second-grade pen pals at Twain, analyzing writing and building meaningful connections.
  • Dr. Piccolo’s math methods students observe lessons in seven classrooms and design interactive math activities as their final projects.

MSU’s ELE 500 students also participate in 130-hour internships, spending one full day per week at Twain. These internships, required for all education degrees at MSU, far exceed the state’s minimum requirements, reflecting MSU’s commitment to comprehensive teacher preparation.

a woman sits with students in a classroom
Hannah Holcomb interned in this second grade class at Twain as part of her ELE 500 course, where she will also student-teach in the spring semester.

Fostering growth for all participants

The partnership is designed to benefit both the MSU students and the Twain community. By immersing MSU students in classrooms earlier and often, the program bridges the gap between academic preparation and the realities of teaching. “I haven’t been with this young of an age in my entire college experience. I loved how excited they were to learn and to meet me. It was a prime example of why I chose this career to begin with,” shared a student after completing the semester. According to student reflections, the experience has been transformative, reigniting their passion for teaching and reinforcing their career aspirations.

Twain’s teachers and students also gain significant advantages. Students receive personalized attention through tutoring and pen pal projects, while teachers appreciate the additional support and collaboration.

“I love the Missouri State professors I get to work with and I’ve always had hard-working MSU students,” said one of the Twain teachers with students in the penpal program.

Looking ahead, the partnership aims to expand its impact by offering professional development (PD) opportunities for Twain’s teachers, with a focus on equity in assessment and the principles of CBL.

Expanding the model

The success of this partnership is paving the way for similar collaborations. This semester, Dr. Howard and faculty are duplicating the Twain partnership with Disney Elementary. Dr. Lori Elliott, the principal, has already welcomed MSU interns in the past and expressed enthusiasm for deeper collaboration through hosting literacy and methods courses this semester. The plan for these partnerships includes having two elementary schools where ELE and ECE students can see a model of the best practices they learn about in their college courses while also integrating PD sessions for the schools to support the district’s transition to CBL.

The partnership between MSU and Mark Twain Elementary exemplifies the power of intentional collaboration. By aligning the needs and goals of both institutions, it creates a mutually enriching environment where future educators and current practitioners learn and grow together. As the partnership evolves, its potential to shape the future of education in Springfield Public Schools, and schools across Missouri, is immense. Through shared dedication to supporting students, teachers, and schools, MSU and its partners are building a brighter future for education.

Building connections among local teachers

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On Sept. 28, Greenwood Laboratory School at Missouri State University was bustling with more than 450 educators. 

They had gathered for the Greater Ozarks Conference’s inaugural event, “Go Collaborate.” This event was a professional development day to strengthen connection and camaraderie among educators from seven schools in the new athletic conference.  

Besides Greenwood, the other schools are Billings, Crane, Marion C. Early, New Covenant Academy, Pleasant Hope and Spokane. 

Missouri State faculty members in front of "Welcome GOC" sign
Missouri State faculty members also enjoyed participating in the conference.

Growing together 

Jimmy Casas, a former school leader for 22 years, best-selling author, speaker and leadership coach, gave the keynote speech at the event. Casas spoke about being genuine with students, having good intentions and maintaining resolve to be a good educator. 

Missouri State President Dr. Richard Williams and College of Education Associate Dean Dr. Reesha Adamson also spoke.  

“Go Collaborate” featured over 60 breakout sessions, covering topics, such as:

  • Communication with stakeholders 
  • Curriculum alignment 
  • Departmental collaborations 
  • Diversity and cultural awareness 
  • Mental health 
  • Politics in education 
  • Reading success plans

Greenwood’s involvement 

According to Jeni Hopkins, assistant director of Greenwood Laboratory School, the event was inspired by the desire of teachers in the conference to build community with one another.  

She was happy Missouri State was able to help make the conference’s first event possible.  

“It was inspiring to see seven schools come together to share best practices and work in partnership as educators,” Hopkins said. 

Looking ahead, the College of Education hopes to continue its mission of fostering peer relationships, growth and encouragement through the Greater Ozarks Conference. 

Learn more about Greenwood Laboratory School