Educate Summer 2022 Volume NumberTwelveOne theJoy of Teaching
As you read, I hope you sense the level of commitment, care, and passion these educators have for their work and for their students. They inspire me every day, and I feel honored for the opportunity to work with them.
Educate is published by the College of Education and distributed to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and education supporters. The College of Education welcomes ideas feature stories other content consistent with the mission of the magazine.
Please email story ideas to MinnesotaCollegechristina.hinz@mnsu.eduofEducationStateUniversity, Mankato 118 Armstrong Hall Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-389-5445 Fax: 507-389-2566 MANAGING EDITOR Christina Hinz WRITER Carol Jones DESIGNER Vanessa Knewtson PHOTOGRAPHERS Steve Woit PRINT COORDINATOR Ryan Schuh DEANFROMGREETINGSTHE
Dr. Jean Haar, Education
than ever, the College of Education holds tightly to our “why”— serving children, families, and communities. As the world continues to grapple with factors that impact our lives daily yet are out of our control, we are staying focused on our vision, to inspire lifelong learning and professional engagement through racial consciousness, social justice, and inclusion within a global context.
Dean DEPARTMENTS CounselingAviation & Student Personnel Educational Leadership Elementary and Literacy Education K–12 and Secondary Programs Military Science and Leadership Special
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The Children’s House CENTERS Center for Engaged Leadership Center for Educator Support Center for Educator Partnerships and Student Support
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The vision of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s College of Education is to inspire lifelong learning and professional engagement through racial consciousness, social justice, and inclusion within a global Thecontext.mission of the College of Education is to prepare professionals through research and evidence-based practices who demonstrate excellence in their profession.
JeanEnjoy,Haar Educate COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
In this issue of Educate, we share the work of dedicated professionals who demonstrate the depth of their creativity, perseverance, and service as they prepare our students to launch their careers. The stories capture the importance of creating spaces and experiences that stretch students’ thinking while also building a solid foundation of understanding. The stories also show how we respond to broad scope needs like state and national teacher shortage areas as well as individual student needs like academic and financial support.
The purpose of Educate is to inform education stakeholders of the ongoing work of the College of Education and its impact on the education profession.
10 The Joy Teachingof We asked educators: What drew you to teaching? What keeps you coming back?
8 Seamless Support
The college takes a holistic approach to supporting students by connecting them with the right people and resources.
Addressing TeachersSpecialShortageWidespreadtheofEducation
Minnesota State University, Mankato • College of Education / 3 TABLE CONTENTSOF
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LeadersEducationalEffortsandLongstandingOngoingtoPrepare
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12 SpacesEducationalIndigenousEstablishing
With a widespread shortage of special education teachers, Minnesota State University, Mankato takes steps to help address the shortage.
14 Social ThinkingTeachesStudiesCriticalandCivilDiscourse
Building from a history of preparing administrators, the educational leadership programs prepare leaders to navigate racial inequities and to meet student needs.
A grant allows for resources to recruit and retain Indigenous students in teacher preparation programs while also helping educate teacher candidates on Native American history and culture.
A pilot course titled “Third Way Civics” provides learning opportunities and experience for students and teacher candidates to ask, “What does it mean to live in a democracy?”
Special Education Department Chair Aaron Deris, and faculty members Dana Wager and Kiersten Hensley discussed the shortage and Minnesota State Mankato’s efforts to prepare special education professionals.
SPECIALEFFORTSSIGNIFICANTMOREINCLUDESOFFERINGTHEUNDERGRADUATEEDUCATIONCOURSESONLINE.
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According to Learning Disabilities Association Minnesota, 49 states report special education teacher shortages.
The group shared a collection of theories: It is hard work. Special education teachers are more than classroom teachers. The work is sometimes undervalued as teachers also serve as advocates, coordinators, and counselors. Individual education plans for each student mean special education teachers have significantly more paperwork than other teachers.
For some districts, special education teacher turnover is twice as high as general education teachers. Indeed, the profession of special educators is challenging; however, it is not all doom and gloom and burnout. Nor is it reserved for only a few especially patient and passionate educators. The work can be difficult, but it is equally rewarding.
Special education graduate program courses have been available 100 percent online since 2016; it has been very successful. In 2019, the undergraduate program also began offering an online option.
ADDRESSING THE WIDESPREAD SHORTAGE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS
ONE OF THE
Deris explained some of Minnesota State Mankato’s efforts to help address the shortage. “We continue to expand the preparation areas in which graduates can seek licensure as well as to secure scholarship dollars for students pursuing special education,” he said. “One of the more significant efforts includes offering the undergraduate special education courses online.”
“There has been a shortage of special education teachers for as long as I can remember,” said Dana Wagner, graduate program coordinator for the Special Education Department.
There are 553 independent school districts in Minnesota. In January 2022, Indeed.com listed 543 active job postings that included “special education teacher” in the title. While it may be surprising to some, this shortage is not unique to Minnesota, and it is not new.
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WHAT IS MINNESOTA STATE MANKATO DOING TO HELP ADDRESS THE SHORTAGE?
WHY IS THERE SUCH A WIDESPREAD SHORTAGE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS?
With more than 900 enrollees, Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Education has the largest teacher preparation program in the state.
Special education teachers report feeling a sense of accomplishment when their students learn something new, and their confidence grows. They enjoy connecting students with the resources to help them be successful. And parents appreciate having their child’s teacher as an advocate.
Minnesota State Mankato's special education department offers coursework to prepare candidates for licensure in
HOW HAVE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS ADAPTED TO THE ABRUPT CHANGES FORCED BY THE PANDEMIC?
the following special education areas: • Academic and Behavioral Strategist • Autism Spectrum Disorder • Development Disabilities • Early Childhood • Emotional Behavioral Disorder • Learning Disabilities Minnesota State University, Mankato • College of Education / 5
Special Education Professor Kiersten Hensley meeting with students.
Hensley said the online option for undergraduate students has been a game-changer for many. She stressed, “The online program expectations and coursework are exactly the same as the in-person option. The online option allows people working as special education paraprofessionals to more easily continue working while also pursuing a teaching degree.” The program was immediately popular. “Without any advertising, we have 22 people in this year’s online cohort. And the online option seems to be attracting a more diverse group of students,” said Hensley. It is expected the program will soon be full. “Our capacity is 25,” she said, “and at least four districts have contacted us asking about offering the program specifically for their staff.”
There is no one way special education is being delivered. Some districts chose to stay in-person, some use a hybrid of in-person and online, some are 100 percent online. In the online special education teacher preparation cohorts, students—many who are working in the field—share resources and strategies they use in their districts. In addition, all Mankato’s special education faculty are experienced classroom teachers and are well-versed in helping teacher candidates prepare for changing “Incircumstances.someways, special education teachers may have been better prepared for the pandemic,” said Wagner. “The essence of special education is to identify individual needs and figure out what is not working, adjusting one variable at a time to find what works. That training has helped some be better prepared to adjust to an online Likeenvironment.”agoodclassroom teacher, the Special Education Department at Minnesota State Mankato will continue to be responsive to the needs of the people they serve: pre-K-12 students with disabilities, parents of those students, teacher candidates, and districts who hire their Forgraduates.moreinformation about the Special Education Department, contact Department Chair Aaron Deris at aaron.deris@mnsu.edu
Rasmussen continued, “Minnesota has one of the largest gaps between White and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in everything: education, healthcare, wealth, home ownership. If a district puts someone in a position of great power who doesn’t know how to navigate racial EFFORTS LEADERS
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LONGSTANDING AND ONGOING
TO PREPARE EDUCATIONAL
After more than 40 years of advocacy, persistent pressure, and documented need from many faculty and staff members—including Claire Faust, Bryce Lindsay, Robert Utermolhen, Scott Wurdinger, Jerry Robicheau, and others—the legislature approved Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Educational Leadership to offer a doctoral program in educational leadership in 2009. Minnesota State Mankato’s educational leadership programs that lead to licensure as a principal and superintendent are routinely near or at capacity. One of the most unique characteristics of the Department of Educational Leadership is its approach to addressing racial Natalieequity.Rasmussen, chair of the Department of Educational Leadership said, “We unapologetically push the racial equity issue. Everyone [students, faculty, and partner districts] knows this is what is promised, delivered, expected. If they are uncomfortable, if this is not for them, that is fine, there are other programs. We don’t back down because we are afraid to lose a couple of people. This is what we do. We think it is the best for students and for the state.”
According to the 1973-74 Graduate Programs and Admissions Manual, Mankato State College awarded the most graduate degrees in both school administration and counseling and guidance in the state. A survey in the 1970s reported nearly 25 percent of practicing school administrators in Minnesota had completed advanced degrees at Mankato State. Yet the university struggled to gain approval to offer doctoral programs.
Minnesota schools are not only experiencing a shortage of teachers but also a shortage of school principals and superintendents. The Minnesota Department of Education estimates 70 practicing superintendents will not return for the 2022-23 school year and only 40 people are currently qualified to fill those positions. It is relatively easy to understand how the unpredictable repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current political climate have increased the stress on principals and superintendents and exacerbated the shortage. But the shortage has been building for years.
Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Education has a history of proactively recruiting and preparing administrators. As far back as 1968, Minnesota’s State College Board approved graduate programs in secondary school administration, elementary school administration, general school administration, and counseling and guidance. The programs were designed to prepare graduates to meet state requirements for certification as principals, superintendents, and guidance personnel.
Rasmussen said the department also prioritizes faculty advising. “We provide responsive faculty support. We stay connected after graduation. We know our approach is working as we see students who come for one program and stay or return for another.”
inequity, how to strategically ameliorate that, we will simply get more of the same. A lot of taxpayer dollars are spent to maintain the status quo.”
As they work to improve equity, school administrators need to be prepared to navigate and confidently advocate for racial equity in a politically charged environment. They cannot do that without first understanding how their own ideas about equity were formed. All educational leadership programs require students to explore how they developed their ideas about race and how those deep-seeded ideas affect their practice. “When our students learn technical skills related to things like budget, education law, and unions, they can just learn it. When it comes to racial equity, learning is often a 2-step process. Before we can learn, often we must unlearn.”
In addition to knowing themselves and how their personal history informs their practice, school administrators must be excellent listeners, problem solvers, and transparent leaders. Great administrators are curious about others and work to find solutions where everyone gets something. To recruit the best candidates possible, the department began looking at different criteria. “We learned the GRE was not a predictor of anything, so we eliminated the requirement,” said Rasmussen. Instead, the program asks applicants what they have done in the field and why they want to be administrators. The program actively recruits a diverse candidate base. The Department of Educational Leadership admission demographics are diverse in markers like gender, race, religion, and LGBTQ status.
Minnesota State University, Mankato • College of Education / 7
Dr. Natalie Rasmussen attending an Educational Leadership event.
Graduate students discussing plans.
Some members interact directly with students at different stages in the program—from recruitment to graduation— and each brings different expertise and knowledge. The result is a purposeful, holistic approach to student support.
COMPASS members facilitate social-emotional support, financial assistance, and academic support from the time students enter the university until they graduate. For more than 10 years, leaders in the college have met monthly to raise awareness of student issues, proactively solve problems, and work as a team to find pathways to get students what they need. The group is seeing more requests for support in the areas of mental health and financial assistance.
SUPPORTSEAMLESS
Another student wanted to pursue a double major: special education and Spanish. “It is very hard to double major when you are in a teacher prep program because it requires student teaching, which doesn’t o er an evening option,” said Grigsby. Grigsby connected with each program to help facilitate communication; the representatives from the programs and Stokes-Hernandez worked to identify di erent course pathway options that would allow the student to meet requirements in both programs.
One student had a degree in French and wanted to return to complete a degree in French teaching. e student reached out to Stokes-Hernandez to understand the requirements and the path to graduation.
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“Without having students run from office to office, COMPASS members work together behind the scenes on a collaborative approach using everyone’s unique set of resources, knowledge, and skills,” said Stokes-Hernandez.
“COMPASS members are strategically placed in situations where students need support,” said Grigsby. “We try to make COMPASS a one-stop shop. We know who to reach out to and how make connections efficiently.”
Maria-Renee Grigsby, Director of Recruitment and Retention, and Tracy Stokes-Hernandez, Student Advising Director, provided some examples of how COMPASS members help connect students to the right people and the right resources.
Most of us have been on the wrong end of a call or request that essentially sends us on a wild goose chase lled with more questions and dead ends. e College of Education wants to help students avoid that situation, especially as it relates to nding the right resources to help them graduate with a degree in education.
Established as a behind-the-scenes group, COMPASS works to connect undergraduate students with the right people and the right resources. Members of COMPASS are a collection of 14 college staff and faculty appointed by the dean.
Another COMPASS member, Elizabeth Finsness, Director of the O ce of Field and International Experience, helped facilitate student teaching. And Grigsby helped connect the student to nancial support options.
These connections oftentimes are the difference between a teacher candidate dropping out or graduating.
Although he had never heard of COMPASS, Gooding transferred to Minnesota State Mankato because of its reputation for excellence in education. Working together, COMPASS members provided enrichment opportunities and supported Gooding to reach his goal of becoming a teacher. And now a new generation of potential teachers has support to reach their goals.
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Dean Haar and members of the COMPASS team holding a strategy session.
And when Gooding reported a negative experience with a mentor teacher, he was listened to, supported, and reassigned to another school. “The situation was taken care of quickly. I had a new mentor who helped me become comfortable in my own skin and excel as a teacher. We still talk every day.”
Chandler Gooding, ’19, said, “Support in the College of Education was huge, it really helped get me through the program. The Teachers of Tomorrow program was a study group, a support group, we even filled out scholarship applications together and they made sure we had the resources to get through licensure.”
Minnesota State University, Mankato • College of Education
Gooding also appreciated the campus keynote speakers on diversity.
“Seeing other educated, powerful Black men as keynote speakers inspired me. I learned a lot from them and gained a deeper knowledge of Black culture and how we can share it in schools and other areas to increase diversity.”
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The joys of teaching need to be recognized and celebrated. The College of Education asked a few educators teaching different age groups: What drew you to teaching? What keeps you coming back?
Education careers are exciting, rewarding, and challenging. Each student is different. Every day holds promise and hope. Teachers are vital to a civilized society and millions of people dedicate their lives to the profession. In the U.S. alone, there are nearly 4 million pre-K-12 teachers and more than 135,000 college professors.
theJoy of Teaching
Ron Browne’s interest in teaching was piqued as a camp counselor. Since then he served as an educator for 41 years.
Oscar Andrade Lara Spanish Education teacher, Prairie Winds Middle School Oscar became a teacher in 2020, beginning as a Spanish language immersion elementary teacher. Now Oscar teaches at the middleschool level.
"I really loved to engage students of all ages, making what they are doing fun, and helping them not be afraid of science."
Ron Browne Professor in the Elementary & Literacy Education department (Retired May of 2022)
"I was inspired to become a teacher because I wanted to be that representation and role model for Latinx students, I didn't have a teacher that looked like me until I got to college. One of the things I enjoy most about teaching is seeing students develop a growth mindset and take ownership of their education. It brings joy, even on the tough days, when I see a student wanting to learn more and seeking out that learning for themselves."
Katlyn Schnitzler
The Children’s House preschool teacher
“I love seeing the light bulb turn on in my students’ minds. I love connecting with students and seeing them grow. Although teaching can be tough, trust the process. At the end of the day, teaching is very rewarding.”
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Minnesota State University, Mankato • College of Education
Third grade teacher at Kennedy Elementary school
“I love the impact I get to make on the children I work with. We get to learn about the world around us together. I have a heart and passion for working with children. I know the relationships I build with my students will last for a lifetime. I still have past students and parents who reach out to me with gratitude and appreciation.
Shonita Harper
During college, Katlyn worked a semester in the preschool classroom at The Children’s House—which led to eight years of teaching.
“I look forward to learning new things from my students, feeding their curiosity, and enhancing their play. Watching a child achieve a goal or master a new skill they have been working on is the most rewarding feeling. But sending them off to kindergarten each fall never gets any easier.
Since becoming a teacher in 2016, Shonita has taught second grade, served as a reading interventionist, and is currently a third grade teacher.
Chandler Gooding Health teacher, Prairie Winds Middle ChandlerSchoolbecame a teacher in 2019 and has taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade.
So nearly five years ago, Mead created a course on Indigenous education. She said, “I wanted to create a course specifically for educators to train them to be able to identify whether potential lesson materials represent a colonial agenda. I want them to ask, ‘How is my Native student going to see this?’” The course uses a two-pronged approach: prepare non-Native educators to effectively serve Native students and educate non-Native students on history from an Indigenous perspective. The course is open to anyone and serves students in teacher prep programs, social work, parks and recreation, nursing, and more.
According to a 2018 research report by Reclaiming Native Truth, “Nearly half of Americans say that what they were taught in schools about Native Americans was inaccurate; 72 percent say it is necessary to make significant changes to the school curriculum on Native American history and culture.
A portion of the College of Education’s 2020-23 Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) grant is being used to help recruit and retain Indigenous students in teacher preparation programs at Minnesota State Mankato and Normandale Community College and provide professional development opportunities for professional educators.
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Minnesota has one of the worst graduation rates for Native students. “Because many people have preconceived ideas about what Native people look like, teachers don’t always realize they have Native students in their classroom. They may use lesson materials that are really damaging to their Native students,” said Mead. “And then we wonder why we have such a horrific K-12 graduation rate of Native students in Minnesota. There is a dramatic need to prepare educators with even a basic understanding of Native history and culture and what it means to provide culturally sustaining education.”
Chelsea Mead, faculty member in the American Indigenous Studies program, and Rebekah Degener, faculty member in the Elementary and Literacy Education program, serve as the grant’s principal investigators for Minnesota State Mankato.
“We put together a team of similarly passioned colleagues to facilitate this grant,” said Mead. “One of the most unique things about it is that it is multiprogram, multicollege, and multiinstitution.”
Courses and PD opportunities offer experiential learning activities like connecting with community elders who share knowledge and experiences and Native humor, and Indian education coordinators from around the state who facilitate discussions about the types of situations Native people encounter with educators. Educators and teacher candidates learn first-hand what Native people wish educators knew to better serve Native students. For more information about the American Indigenous Studies Program, contact Associate Professor Chelsea Mead at chelsea.mead@mnsu.edu or 507-389-6318.
When the team wrote the GEER grant application, they earmarked funding for some elements that would be led by Mead with the American Indigenous Studies program and in partnership with Megan Heutmaker with the American Indian Affairs program. The grant includes sections of Mead’s class, support like scholarships and emergency funds for Native students in teacher preparation programs, and financial assistance for people interested in studying Indigenous languages of Ojibwa and Dakota—Minnesota’s two heritage Native languages. In addition, the grants support Native elders in residence and professional development (PD) opportunities for educators.
Minnesota State University, Mankato • College of Education
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Ojibwe Language students play a game of Giigoonh (Go Fish)! Student reading and learning about Ojibwe culture.
Kyle Ward and Tryg Throntveit are co-teaching a pilot course at Minnesota State Mankato titled “Third Way Civics.” Ward is the Director of Social Studies Education at Minnesota State Mankato. Throntveit is a global fellow and Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Minnesota Humanities Center. Together they are providing a unique experience for social study teacher candidates and others, asking “What does it mean to live in a democracy?”
SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHES CRITICAL THINKING AND CIVIL DISCOURSE
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Ward and Throntveit have created this course to serve as a model for other universities across the country.
Third Way Course Overview: “What is the nature of our democratic system? And how should we, the people, act to sustain its best features and remedy its Theseflaws?are hard questions, made harder by deep divisions in American society. This course seeks to put those divisions in context and turn them into opportunities for individual and collective growth: growth among the students who take the course and, by extension, in the peer groups, dormitories, workplaces, hometowns, and other communities they animate and shape through their actions.”
“We provide a lot of primary sources of documents and major thought canons. Then we guide students through discussion and debate. We don’t want a cable screamfest,” said Ward. It is Ward and Throntveit’s hope and expectation these students will take those lessons out to their homes, workplaces, and communities.
Students need to find one article a week. The source doesn’t matter as long as the student is willing to acknowledge the potential media bias,” said Pederson. “I teach students not to take everything at face value, to use their critical thinking skills.”
“I also integrate current events into my courses weekly.
Exercising their critical thinking and civil discourse skills are exactly what Ward and Throntveit are asking of their students in the Third Way Civics pilot course. Both are vital to maintaining a democratic society.
The pilot course is only one of the many opportunities provided for social studies teachers at Minnesota State Mankato. Since 2016, social studies students and teacher candidates have opportunities for international student teaching, unique summer institutes, and study abroad programs.
Brett Pederson, ‘18, teaches history at Eden Prairie High School. He was part of the first international student teaching cohort in Norway. The experience showed him first-hand how U.S. politics are monitored around the world. Pederson said, “High school students had a sleepover at the school to monitor results of the 2016 presidential election.” In addition, Pederson said Ward’s influence on him to make sure his students feel they belong in the classroom, their work is meaningful, and they can be successful were pivotal in motivating him to work hard to teach a balanced and unbiased review of history.
Pederson was instrumental in revamping his school’s U.S. history curriculum. “We wanted to teach history from the people’s perspective—those who are often underrepresented—rather than from the power and wealth perspective,” he said. They replaced multiple choice tests and 90-minute lectures with historical simulations, writing, collaboration, and lively discussions.
The course uses a lot of primary sources with guiding questions to engage the students in the history of democracy in the U.S. Course activities and discussion are used to prompt students to find opportunities to grow as citizens of democracy—for themselves and their future students.
Minnesota State University, Mankato • College of Education / 15
Student logged into their D2L Brightspace account for the HIST 430 course.
While the coursework asks students tough questions about how people should act to sustain and repair democracy, it also creates a space for students to turn potential divisive perspectives into opportunities for learning and growth.
Remembering their wives through Elementary Education legacy gifts.
To honor the love their spouses had for teaching and students, two widowers recently gifted a combined $2.4 million to support students pursuing their teaching dreams.
A member of the Minnesota State system and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling College of Education at 507-389-5445 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY). EDUC171NE_07-22
The widowers are honoring their spouses who graduated in the early 50’s and 60’s and pursued the same career dream to nurture the love of learning through teaching. These generous financial gifts will keep making teaching dreams come true for generations to come through future educator scholarships.
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To make a gift to the College of Education, contact Kristen Dulas at kristen.dulas@mnsu.edu or 507-389-1381.
