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College of Education News

Navigating loss and grief

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For its 2024 annual retreat, the Sudden and Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) Foundation asked Missouri State University’s Dr. Melissa Schotthofer to assist in grief workshops.  

Schotthofer, who is a clinical assistant professor in the child life track at MSU, invited two of her former students, Yukari Stickley and Ashton Hodge, to help facilitate a few workshops on Sept. 28 for children and teenagers grieving the loss of a sibling. 

A meaningful collaboration 

Stickley and Hodge both completed their bachelor’s degrees in child and family development with the child life option in 2016 and 2019, respectively. They also hold master’s degrees in child life studies from MSU.  

Stickley works as a child life specialist at Cox Health and Hodge is a child life specialist at the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield. 

For Schotthofer, the opportunity to work with her former students as peers was an enjoyable experience. 

“It was cool to work with them as colleagues in the field, creating programming for the workshops,” she said.  

Three of her current students also assisted with the effort.  

“I gave them the opportunity to help, and they fully embraced it,” Schotthofer said. “They did a great job relating to the kids on a really tough topic. They represented themselves and our program well.” 

Age-based workshop structure 

For the workshops, the team created age-appropriate grief sessions for around 45 participants. 

Ages 4-7 

  • Schotthofer read a book called “Invisible String” to the group and participants drew a picture of their loved one. 
  • Stickley asked them to write what makes them feel angry on a piece of paper. They were then told to rip their paper up. 
  • Hodge led a movement activity with the group. 

Ages 8-12 

  • Schotthofer gave participants canvases to draw a picture of their loved one or a special memory. 
  • Hodge used sand art and had them draw what their life was like before their loved ones passed away versus their life in the present.  
  • Stickley repeated her drawing activity that she did with the previous group. 

Ages 13+ 

  • This group did one large activity involving butcher paper.  
  • They drew whatever they wanted and discussed their drawings together. 

Importance of grief counseling 

The goal of the workshop for Schotthofer was to provide a space for people to express grief who might not be able to otherwise.  

“We know sometimes it can be hard for kids to talk about their lost loved one at school or with their friends and not everybody wants to hear about it,” she said. “But we had a lot of therapeutic conversations.” 

Schotthofer was especially moved by the conversations she had with her peers, students and the workshop participants in the teenage group. 

“They said, ‘Our friends just expect us to be over this by now, but it keeps coming up. Sometimes we’re fine, sometimes we’re not.’ That’s the nature of grief and bereavement,” she said. “We told the older kids that as they progress developmentally, it might hit them in different ways.”  

“We also said, ‘You might come to a point where you’re feeling better for a while and then something new happens in your life and it restarts things again,” Schotthofer said. “And that’s OK.” 

Learn more about the child life track 

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

COE outreach alumna named Head Start director for the region

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Missouri State University alumna Angie Kinder has worked for Ozark Action for 15 years.  

She started as a parent/teacher assistant in 2008, then began her journey working for Ozark Action’s Head Start as a teacher in 2009.  

“I fell in love with the Head Start program and enrolled in an education program at MSU so I could make helping families my career,” she said.  

Kinder graduated with a bachelor’s degree in child and family development (CFD) in 2017. She completed her degree through the outreach program in her hometown of West Plains.  

This fall, she became the director of Head Start for the region. She works at a location in West Plains.  

Making lasting impacts on families 

Head Start provides children with a safe and nurturing learning environment. They provide hands-on, play-based learning and family engagement experiences.  

As the director, Kinder leads over 100 staff members across six counties to ensure they implement comprehensive, quality early childhood education services. She also develops program goals and design options, as well as budgets. 

Kinder’s role fulfills her passion for helping families. 

“Head Start reminds me daily that it only takes one caring adult to help a child. When a whole system comes together to support not only the child but the entire family, the outcomes can be life changing,” she said.  

“I’ve seen a lot of families gain confidence and achieve so many goals while in our program. I love running into families we served over 10 years ago and they still remember how we helped them.”   

Seeking guidance from others 

The CFD program gave Kinder hands-on experience in early childhood settings.  

“These experiences allowed me to apply what I was learning to real situations and gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed to enter the classroom,” she said.  

As a working mother, Kinder said the flexibility of the outreach program and support from faculty helped her succeed at MSU.  

“Brenda Smith and Renee Keith were amazing advisors and mentors. I could sit down with them anytime I had questions. They walked me through the entire process and reassured me when I felt overwhelmed,” Kinder said. 

She encourages others to build similar relationships with their advisors.  

“Don’t be afraid to share your concerns and struggles with your advisors. They’re there to support and guide you. They want to see you succeed and can help you develop a plan that works for you.” 

Explore education programs 

From student to teacher

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From a young age, Ruth Lange knew she wanted to be an educator.  

“My mom is an educator. She has always been the teacher the students can’t wait to get and don’t want to leave,” Lange said.  

She saw firsthand the impact her mother had on her students, and this motivated Lange to follow in her footsteps.  

In 2014, Lange graduated from Missouri State University with her bachelor’s degree in child and family development with an emphasis in early childhood. In 2020, she graduated with a master’s degree in early childhood and family development and a certificate in environmental STEM for teachers. 

Cultivating connections at MSU 

Growing up in Springfield, Missouri, Lange chose to study education at MSU because of the advice her high school guidance counselor gave her.  

“All throughout high school, my guidance counselor would tell me the wonderful things MSU had to offer,” she said. “I knew it was the perfect place for me to grow into the educator I wanted to be.” 

Now, she is pursuing her career as an educator at MSU.  

Lange is the lead teacher in a toddler classroom at MSU’s Child Development Center. In this role, she provides a safe and secure environment for young children and creates individualized goals to help each child thrive. 

She also teaches CFD 455: Infant/Toddler: Development and Program Planning at MSU, where she helps college students learn how to nurture and teach infants and toddlers. 

“The most fulfilling part is seeing both the children and college students learn and grow,” Lange said. “It’s rewarding knowing the work I do to help my students is preparing them to help others in the future.”  

Make the most of your resources 

Lange’s time at MSU helped her feel prepared when she started teaching.  

“The practicums and hands-on experience MSU provided helped me feel confident in the classroom once I graduated,” she said.  

Lange encourages education students to take advantage of MSU’s resources so they can also feel confident in their roles as educators. 

“Students should come to class, take notes and ask questions. Educators are there to help students learn and will do what is needed to help them succeed,” she said.  

“I also think it is helpful to keep a notebook of tips learned in practicums, such as different songs and transitions. The notebook can be a useful playbook in the future.” 

Study education at MSU