Missouri State University

Skip to content Skip to navigation
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

College of Education News

Cheery Charlie and child life

February 7, 2023 by Savannah A. Keller

Tamar Adler holding craft bags.

Avi Adler was lying unconscious underneath a truck when his family found him in June 2020.  

A delivery truck driver had reversed without looking, striking Avi on the 20th mile of his bike ride. After the accident, the 18-year-old was rushed to the hospital, where he awoke with broken bones and a concussion.  

A child life specialist helped Avi while he was hospitalized, making him and his family feel calmer and at ease. 

Missouri State University student Tamar Adler was inspired by how much the specialist helped her brother through his traumatic injury. 

“The accident changed Avi, and it also changed me,” Tamar said. “It made me realize I wanted a career that benefits other people.”     

Since the accident, Avi has fully recovered. Tamar changed her career trajectory from fashion to child life.   

Bringing joy with Cheery Charlie 

Tamar Adler and Charlie smiling.Tamar had to think outside the box to find ways to volunteer in this field since it was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I started making craft bags and donated them to the child life departments at local St. Louis hospitals as a way to volunteer from home,” Tamar said. “The bags help kids be creative and experience normalcy while in the hospital.” 

She named her volunteer project Cheery Charlie and turned it into an official Missouri nonprofit corporation.  

“I chose the name because I had just gotten a puppy named Charlie, and Charlie makes me cheery,” she said.  

Since the inception of Cheery Charlie in January 2021, Tamar has donated over 6,000 craft bags to children in St. Louis hospitals.   

Tamar won the St. Louis Jewish Light 2022 Unsung Hero Award for her time, service and commitment to the St. Louis Jewish community through Cheery Charlie. 

Learn more about Cheery Charlie

Furthering her passion through education 

Tamar enrolled in Missouri State’s online child life graduate program two years after her brother’s accident.  

She plans to graduate in May 2027. As a future child life specialist, Tamar will help children and their families deal with the challenges of trauma, loss, long-term illness or injury and more.  

She said the knowledge she has gained about child life through her program has been invaluable for her future and nonprofit.  

“Being able to study child life at MSU while working on Cheery Charlie has been so powerful to me,” Tamar said. 

“My time at MSU has only allowed me to love child life even more.”

Despite the program being online, Tamar feels a great connection to her fellow child life students and her advisor, Dr. Lindsey Murphy.  

“Tamar is a natural,” said Murphy, assistant professor of childhood education and family studies at Missouri State.  

“She exudes joy and many characteristics and skills needed to be a great child life specialist. I have no doubt she will continue to touch many patients, families and staff throughout her career.” 

Explore child life studies 

Filed Under: Child Life Studies, COE Students, Graduate Program Tagged With: child life specialist, childhood education and family studies

USOA Mrs. Washington takes on teaching

December 8, 2022 by Savannah A. Keller

Mrs. Washington posing in nature.

Emily Skeers was competing for Miss Lewis County 2008 when she fell sick with a debilitating illness.  

She was eventually diagnosed with a rare form of Crohn’s disease that changed the course of her future.  

“I wanted to be an opera singer. Everyone’s experience with Crohn’s is different, but my experience made this dream impossible,” the Missouri State University graduate student said. “I was 28 years old and couldn’t sing, perform or teach.”  

Skeers’ life was put on pause for eight months after the diagnosis, and it took three years to reach remission.  

Check out Skeers’ podcast 

Intertwining passions 

Since Skeers couldn’t make a career out of singing, she decided to pursue a different passion: teaching.  

Though she lives in Washington, Skeers is currently working on a master’s degree in early childhood and family development online through Missouri State. She plans to graduate in spring 2024. 

“Much of my work at Missouri State is tied to my interest in music,” Skeers said. “For my thesis, I am studying the importance of singing lullabies to babies.”  

Skeers plans to teach a class on the role of music in childhood development in spring 2023. She will teach in her hometown Olympia, WA. 

“Emily takes such a thoughtful approach to her work in her courses and thesis research,” said Dr. Elizabeth King, associate professor of childhood education and family studies at Missouri State.  

“I have learned a lot from her about tying meaningful personal experiences to the research process. Working with Emily has been one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences I’ve had at Missouri State.” 

Pageants with a purpose 

Skeers was crowned United States of America’s Mrs. Washington 2023 in September. 

She wants to use her role as USOA Mrs. Washington 2023 to raise awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She has already raised nearly $3,000 in donations for the foundation.  

The foundation researches treatment for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improves the quality of life for those diagnosed with these diseases. Skeers created a support group within the foundation for people to share resources and support one another.  

Skeers will compete for the title of United States of America’s Mrs. in spring 2023 as the “Queen with Crohn’s.”  

She said, “I want to bring attention to Crohn’s disease, garner support for those diagnosed and show people the beauty of resilience.” 

Learn more about education programs 

Filed Under: COE Students Tagged With: childhood education and family studies

Removing barriers for language learners

November 18, 2022 by Savannah A. Keller

MSU students teach an ELL around a table.

Communicating using a non-native language can be challenging and often creates a sense of separation.  

This semester, Missouri State University began the Removing Barriers program to promote equity for English language learners. 

The program provides English instruction to parents of English language learners who attend Springfield Public Schools and live primarily in the Briarwood Mobile Home Park.   

“The English instruction helps break down the barrier of language to allow the parents of these children to truly thrive in the Springfield community,” said Dr. Amber Howard, clinical instructor of childhood education and family studies at Missouri State University.  

“These language skills open up so many doors for these families.”  

How it works 

The program started through partnership between the English Language Institute (ELI), Sherwood Elementary, the College of Education and the English Language Development program at Springfield Public Schools, and it is funded through a Collective Impact grant from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO). 

The ELI worked with MSU students enrolled in ELE 501 to teach them how to provide language courses to newcomer English learners.   

Then, the MSU students work directly with English learners and their parents.  

During each session, the group meets at Sherwood Elementary for a meal, and each adult who attends receives a $20 gift card. After the meal, the MSU students give engaging lessons to both the adults and the children.   

The lessons help individuals develop English language skills. These lessons create a natural bridge between home, school and community, and they provide opportunities for real-life practice for the MSU students.   

“The families are so kind, and the children have such a fun time playing games while their parents participate in the language classes,” said Haley Hall, an elementary education student at MSU. 

A brighter future 

The program provides valuable experiences for both the families and the MSU students.   

Noah Lanear, another MSU student, said, “We learn just as much from the parents and their children as they learn from us.” 

The families learn real world skills to help them in the workforce and develop skills to pass on to their children and communities.   

The MSU students learn how to better help English language learner students and their families. They can use these skills in their classrooms, and their students can bring those skills home to their families.   

“The Removing Barriers program has been so helpful for everyone involved. For us MSU students, it gives us a unique learning experience that we haven’t had in any other class,” Hall said.   

Learn about education programs 

Filed Under: COE Students Tagged With: childhood education and family studies, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Dr. Amber Howard, English Language Institute, Removing Barriers

Developing teaching skills through community engagement

August 5, 2022 by Savannah A. Keller

Classroom with stuffed animals and a rug.

Community awareness is an essential component of teaching.  

“Teachers are community workers. Effective teaching requires ethical leadership and cultural literacies,” Dr. Jennice McCafferty-Wright said.  

“This is especially true when we engage with the newest members of our community and those who have fled exploited and war-torn homelands.” 

Wright is an assistant professor in the department of childhood education and family studies at Missouri State University. She teaches courses that help students become educators. 

To help her students develop teaching skills and community awareness, Wright incorporated a service-learning practicum into her course, Methods of Teaching Social Studies in Elementary Schools. 

Making a lifelong difference 

The English Language Institute at Missouri State provides free English classes for adult refugees from Afghanistan. While the parents are in class, Wright’s students engage with the parents’ children.  

A few evenings a week, the students provide a safe learning environment for the children to learn through play.  

The students follow the children’s lead. They engage with the children in English to help them learn the language, and express interest in the children’s cultures and home languages, Dari or Pashto.  

The students’ efforts have a profound impact on the children and their families.  

“Some of the mothers of these young children are preliterate. The Taliban did not permit them to learn to read or write in their home languages when they were younger,” Wright said.  

“Now, they live in a country where literacy is an essential requirement for providing for their families. The skills learned in their English classes are essential to their families’ survival in the United States.” 

Molding to the community’s needs 

Through service-learning, the students develop a deeper understanding of their course material.  

Students can connect course topics, such as teaching for global understanding and civic engagement, to their practicum experience.  

By working with children who are refugees, the students learn valuable skills that will help them teach students from all backgrounds.  

“The students practice strategies for working with children who are English Language Learners,” Wright said.  

“They also support the development of vocabulary that will help the children engage with social studies and other school subjects.” 

It is crucial that teacher candidates learn how to adapt their teaching approach to meet their students’ needs, especially those from vulnerable communities.  

“In a perfect world, there would be no need for teachers to know how to support victims of manmade crises,” Wright said.  

“But we must teach both for the world in which we live and the more perfect world our students have the potential to create.”   

Wright plans to incorporate the practicum in future courses to continue serving the community and helping her students become well-rounded educators.  

Learn more about education programs

Filed Under: COE Faculty, Elementary Education Tagged With: childhood education and family studies, college of education, Jennice McCafferty-Wright, service-learning

More teachers than ever are leaving the profession

August 2, 2022 by Savannah A. Keller

Alumni teaching.

Across the nation, teachers are leaving the profession. The pandemic and shifting political landscape have left teachers feeling overworked and undervalued. 

According to a 2022 Gallup poll, K-12 teachers report the highest burnout rate of all U.S. professions. More than four out of every 10 teachers said they feel burned out “always” or “very often” at work. 

Dr. Stefanie Livers, associate professor in the department of childhood education and family studies at Missouri State University, gives reasons for why teachers are fleeing and provides advice for current teachers and teacher educators.  

The challenges 

Teaching is historically undervalued, according to Livers. She said, “Teachers are underpaid, benefits are always unstable and the workload keeps increasing.”  

The pandemic has increased the stress levels for teachers because they had to introduce virtual learning in their classes.

In addition to the systemic challenges of teaching, teachers face social and emotional challenges.  

People often direct their frustrations about political, societal and curriculum issues onto teachers. Some even attack teachers on a personal level.  

“If you’re under attack, it’s a hard place to be,” Livers said.   

The teaching profession is becoming deprofessionalized. Schools are starting to require teachers to follow hyper-specific guidelines for teaching, limiting teacher autonomy. 

Teachers go through rigorous programs to become experts in their field. To become teachers, candidates must apply to and get accepted into the program. Then they must complete programmatic coursework, student teach and pass numerous assessments. 

Teachers need the ability to use their expertise to build their instructional practice based on the students’ needs, but deprofessionalization restricts that ability. 

“We need to provide teachers with the professional courtesy to do their job with integrity,” Livers said. 

The current climate of the teaching profession is problematic.

For the future of education, Livers said, “Something needs to change, and something needs to change quickly.” 

For teachers seeking jobs, Livers recommends they look for supportive administrations that make their teachers feel valued.    

Feeling valued at work leads to better mental and physical health, and higher job satisfaction, according to a survey from the American Psychology Association.    

“Your administrator matters,” Livers said. “With the teacher shortage, teachers can be more intentional in their job search and look for schools with support systems for teachers.”   

Update teacher preparation programs  

Teacher educators need to adapt and evolve their teacher preparation programs to accommodate the current climate of the teaching profession. 

If future teachers enjoy their time in the classroom from the start of their teaching program, they are more likely to feel satisfied and prepared for their profession.    

Teachers may enjoy teaching more when their preparation includes active learning activities, like teaching small groups and providing one-on-one support to students.  

Less time on campus and more time in schools could prove to be more meaningful for future teachers. 

Missouri State has updated its teacher preparation programs to include more practical experience.  

For example, the students who take the Methods of Teaching Social Studies in Elementary Schools course partake in a service-learning practicum. Throughout the semester, the students provide a safe environment for children who are refugees to learn through play.   

“Students should be able to develop their learning through hands-on experiences,” Livers said. “Teacher educators should act more like mentors on the ground in local schools and play an active role in helping future teachers learn how to teach within local classrooms.”     

“Creating a network of ideas is important,” Livers said. “We could use more out-of-box experiences within teacher preparation that allow future teachers to use their expertise and develop their teaching practice in creative ways that would also help our local community.”    

The bottom line 

The teaching profession has challenges, but overall, it is a rewarding career.  

On the most difficult days, Livers recommends that teachers try to remember why they became teachers.  

“I know teaching can be challenging but remember why it matters,” Livers said. 

“Teachers matter, and I hope that we can collectively improve the profession so that teachers can always feel supported and valued.”

Explore education programs

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: childhood education and family studies, Stefanie Livers

Next Page »

Subscribe via email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 11 other subscribers

Categories

  • Bear POWER
  • Child Life Studies
  • COE Alumni
  • COE Faculty
  • COE Staff
  • COE Students
  • Counseling
  • Early Childhood and Family Development
  • Educational Administration
  • Elementary Education
  • Graduate Program
  • Literacy
  • Secondary Education
  • Special Education
  • Student Affairs
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Make your Missouri statementMake your Missouri statement
  • Last Modified: February 9, 2023
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Disclosures
  • EO/AA/M/F/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
  • © 2013 Board of Governors, Missouri State University
  • Contact Information