College of Education News

COE alumna Courtney Baker named Teacher of the Year

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For her excellence in teaching, Missouri State University alumna Courtney Baker received the Teacher of the Year award for Hawthorn Elementary School, based in St. Peters, Missouri.  

Hawthorn is part of the Fort Zumwalt School District, which is headquartered in O’Fallon.  

“I was really honored to have had five different nominations this year to win this award,” Baker said. “It feels good when your hard work is noticed. That’s not why you do it, but it feels good when people appreciate you. Our school does an assembly with all the kids gathered chanting your name, and it’s always so fun.” 

Baker is also a finalist for the district’s Educator of the Year award. 

From West County, St. Louis, Baker has been teaching for eight years. She currently teaches kindergarten but has also taught first and second grade in the past.  

A positive Missouri State experience 

Baker first attended Missouri State from 2011-2015 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Wanting to become an expert in her field, she completed her master’s degree in early childhood and family development online in 2019. 

The biggest impact on Baker during her education was Dr. Denise Cunningham, associate dean of MSU’s College of Education.  

“She made it real for us,” Baker said. “She made it clear it wasn’t going to be sunshine and daisies every day in the classroom. She taught us real life survival.”  

Though Cunningham was upfront with the realities of teaching, Baker found her lessons exciting and engaging.  

“If she’s having this much fun teaching us, imagine how much fun we’re going to have when it’s our time as well,” Baker said. 

 Her favorite part of being a student at Missouri State was the energetic atmosphere.  

“There’s so much to be a part of everywhere you look,” she said. “We always called it a big school with a small school feel.” 

In her final year as a student, Baker served as president of University Ambassadors and received the Senior Woman of the Year award. 

Impacting young lives  

Baker comes from a long line of nurturing women with careers in nursing. While she always knew she wanted to help others, a job involving blood was off the table. 

“To be honest, kindergarteners’ teeth falling out at random is pushing it!” Baker said. 

Through her experiences working at summer camps and volunteering at a children’s crisis nursery, Baker’s heart discovered it had a special place for working with young children. 

“They have such a passion for life and such a unique outlook,” Baker said. “You get to help them not just with their learning, but in becoming a good person as well.” 

Recently, Baker read her students a book called, “How Full is Your Bucket,” as part of a lesson about spreading kindness to others.  

“Now everything I hear is, ‘I’m filling their bucket,’ ‘they’re filling my bucket.’ It’s so sweet to hear,” Baker said. 

When she started teaching at Hawthorn, Baker taught the same class of students from kindergarten through second grade.  While learning three new curriculums in a row was challenging, Baker found the overall experience rewarding because she got to watch her kids grow and see their humor develop and their abilities change.  

“It was really cool to forge a bond with those students and have trust and expectations built going year to year,” she said. 

One of Baker’s favorite parts of teaching younger children is following their progress throughout elementary school.  

“Sometimes the really, really quiet kid in kindergarten is the star of the school play in fifth grade. I love that I get to see these kids grow up and come out of their shells,” she shared. 

Some advice to share  

Baker tells students considering a career in early childhood education to “go for it; it’s super fun.”  

She encourages students to attend practicum opportunities while at Missouri State to experience the classroom environment.  

“What you go in thinking you want to teach might not actually be your calling,” Baker said. 

 She discourages those just entering the workforce from overwhelming themselves with the expectation of doing everything at once.  

“Get in there, do your best and follow your curriculum,” she said. “Don’t try to be the ‘Pinterest Teacher.’” 

Learn more about early childhood education programs

Little ripples make big impacts

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In her office, Amber Allen hangs up three maps: Missouri, the United States and the world.  

Allen, a Missouri State University alumna from Kansas City, Missouri, is a human development and family science field specialist at the University of Missouri Extension. While based in Springfield, she oversees 10 counties in the southwest Missouri region.  

She teaches in-person and virtual community education classes focused on stress management, childcare provider professional development, mental health, parenting, families and healthy aging. Participants have spanned from southwest Missouri to Canada and Japan. 

As a student at MSU, Allen interned with Community Partnership of the Ozarks. It was there she realized she wanted to work in community-based education as a profession. 

Allen finished her bachelor’s degree in child and family development in 2013. She furthered her studies with a master’s degree in nonprofit and civic leadership from Drury University. She is now pursuing her doctorate in education in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri. 

Allen said Missouri State laid the foundation for her success — not only on the theory side of things, but also for the research and application skills she uses daily. 

Community education and social change 

Allen loves “connecting the dots.”  She does this by connecting individuals to classes or communities to opportunities. This is where her three maps come into play.   

“What I do here in southwest Missouri can affect the whole state. What is happening in Missouri can also make an impact across the country,” Allen said.   

“One thing you do, even as a student, can impact so many more than you know. Educating one individual or doing one family education event can create lasting change,” she said.  

These “little ripples” are key to the prevention-based education Allen champions. Often, her research focuses on stress management and mental health.   

As a certified family life educator and advanced prevention specialist, Allen shares her knowledge with field professionals. Through her classes, she can spread evidence and research-based education to the entire world. 

Advice for students

Allen has two main pieces of advice for students interested in her field: “Expect the unexpected” and “never take for granted a sticky note.”   

As a student, Allen struggled with finding an internship she felt was right for her. She spoke to one of her professors, who scribbled a phone number and a name on a sticky note. From this sticky note, she found an internship where she met many of her colleagues. The first steps to her current position started with an email address written on a napkin.  

“Those unexpected moments can set the trajectory of your career path,” Allen said. 

Because of this, she recommends getting to know classmates in your field. Allen believes many Missouri State students “bloom where planted.” Connections made in a simple group project can be a lifelong networking link for those who stay in the area. 

These local connections and opportunities spread outward. Allen has been a speaker at both the state and national level, most recently presenting a webinar on Guidance for Family Practitioners to Manage Stress for the National Council on Family Relations. Each new opportunity is another pin on her three maps. 

Taking the next steps 

If you told freshman Allen of her current successes, she would not believe you. But as she completed her degree, that mindset changed. MSU professors sharing their experiences showed Allen post-bachelor’s education was an exciting prospect. 

She said her mentors at Missouri State pushed her to take the next steps in education. Now, she is completing her doctoral program. 

According to Allen, the little ripples of opportunity she found at Missouri State have shaped her career. Through her work, she is able to help improve the well-being of individuals and families.

Learn more about child and family development programs

MSU alumna awarded Outstanding Beginning Teacher Award

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Aimee Hendricks’ ability to help her students feel seen and cared for is one of many reasons she was recognized for her outstanding teaching.  

Hendricks received one of two Outstanding Beginning Teacher Awards awarded to MSU alumni during the March 1-2 Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education conference.  

“I feel truly honored to receive this award,” she said. “Educators everywhere are going above and beyond, and I have learned a lot within my first couple years of teaching.”  

Hendricks graduated from Missouri State University in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.  

Now, she is in her second year of teaching fourth grade at Daniel Young Elementary School in Blue Springs, Missouri.  

Being the teacher students need  

During her undergraduate studies, Hendricks learned about the value of teachers in students’ lives.  

“MSU showed me that teaching is not just about academics,” she said. “As teachers, we are also cheerleaders, mentors, advocates and more. Some days, you have to put academics aside and focus on showing students they are loved.” 

Hendricks’ favorite part of teaching is seeing the impact teachers can have on students.  

“My former students will come by my classroom still and talk about things they remember us doing, from read alouds to hands-on projects,” she said. “It’s amazing to create memories with students they will always remember.” 

Hendricks shows support for her students by attending their athletic events, music recitals and more. 

“It’s such a unique experience to see kids outside of school using one of their many talents, and it also shows that you care about them,” she said. 

Using her experience to help future educators 

For the past two years, Hendricks has virtually visited future educators in Dr. Rhonda Bishop’s course, Introduction to Elementary Education.  

“Aimee prepared and shared details about getting ready for the first day of school, setting up a classroom, parent communication and so much more,” said Bishop, assistant professor of childhood education and family studies at MSU. 

She also helps future teachers understand the difficulties and challenges of teaching but assures them that being an educator is worth it.  

“It has been an honor to watch Aimee grow from a student to a full-time educator. I appreciate her continued efforts to support future teachers by sharing her journey as a teacher,” Bishop said.

Hendricks is grateful for her experience with Bishop and others at Missouri State.  

“I’m incredibly thankful to have gone to such an amazing university and have amazing mentors, professors and colleagues,” Hendricks said.  

“Behind every impactful educator is a team building them up. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the best.” 

Become a teacher at Missouri State 

From kindergarten to college

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The teaching profession is more than educating students. It is also about building meaningful relationships that impact both the teacher and the students.  

Allison Kramer built a special relationship with her kindergarten teacher, Linda Wolff, that she carried with her throughout her education. When Allison was in eighth grade, she nominated her for the Golden Apple Teacher Award. Mrs. Wolff sent a letter to Allison to thank her and encourage her to consider attending Missouri State University. 

Allison is now in her third year at Missouri State. She recently re-discovered the letter from Mrs. Wolff in her old memories box. She knew her favorite teacher would be thrilled that she attended Missouri State after all and decided to send her a letter by mail.  

“I was so excited to send her a letter telling her I chose MSU. I also wanted to tell her that my current roommate was also in her kindergarten class with me,” Allison said. After three attempts, Allison finally found the correct mailing address. 

The letter Mrs. Wolff sent in response was filled with stories of her experience at Missouri State. She wrote that she thought everything Allison was doing at Missouri State was awesome, and Allison plans to write back to her to tell her to visit the campus again.  

Mrs. Wolff and Allison made a connection that’s lasted for many years. Teachers have the power to inspire and encourage students to achieve their personal and professional goals, just as Mrs. Wolff did for Allison.  

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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