The Art and Science of Education

College of Saint Mary graduates are highly prized across myriad fields, but what pleases Deanna “Dee” Acklie most is how schools especially welcome the students of our programs! Dr. Acklie is Associate Professor of Education and Director of Undergraduate Teacher Education and Special Education. “Preparing our students for the classroom is an understatement! Our undergraduate students average between 200 and 250 practicum hours. That’s more than double the 100 hours required by the state of Nebraska. Beyond having exceeded the requirements, it’s our students’ ability to apply a wealth of experiences to their teaching that makes them so valuable.”

Acklie should know about meeting requirements. She leads the charge among the education faculty who are active participants with the Nebraska Council of Teacher Education Association (NCTE), the state organization comprised of administrators, teachers and college representatives from teacher education programs, and the Nebraska Association of Colleges of Teachers of Education (NCTE). Acklie’s dedication runs deep. She serves on both of these councils and is the secretary of the NCTE working committee. She attends regular webinars on current topics and even spent winter break reading the 600 pages of the new proposed federal guidelines to discern their impact on College of Saint Mary programs.

College of Saint Mary served as one of the pilot colleges for the new statewide student teacher clinical evaluations and faculty served on the committee that created the format.

 “We have never been content to simply respond to state and federal decisions,” Acklie added. “College of Saint Mary leads in teacher education. We get involved when it matters and lend our expertise and insight to policy/regulations decisions that affect the university, our students and the students they serve.” This dedication to leading in the field is one reason the practicum hours are so high for College of Saint Mary students.

The other reason is truly the heart of the program.

College of Saint Mary has cultivated long-standing relationships with organizations in the community that give students ample opportunity to learn how to apply what they’re learning–real time. Plus, as Dr. Melanie Felton, Associate Professor of Education and Director of Early Childhood Education put it, “Children in classrooms today have the same needs for physical and psychological safety, a sense of belonging, a feeling of acceptance and recognition for their abilities and talents as they had many years ago. However, today there are many new issues that impact the ability of teachers and families to meet these needs. These issues include academic pressures through frequent high stakes testing, rapid changes in technology and the role of social media in our lives, as well as the economic strains felt among families and communities. In order to help our children develop holistically, teachers must have an even stronger foundation in child and adolescent development and family systems to be able to judge what truly are best and developmentally appropriate practices. Teachers must work with families to be strong advocates for children in a much more dynamic way in today's schools and in society as a whole. That’s the value of the net effect of what we teach in our College of Saint Mary classrooms combined with in-depth practicum experience. We help move our students from a ‘student mindset’ to a ‘teacher mindset.’ We are preparing reflective teachers who are ready to engage in lifelong learning and service to their students and communities. Outcomes exemplify the Mission of College of Saint Mary.”

“This isn’t about building up hours,” added Acklie. “This is about tapping into each student’s best and highest use–helping her become the teacher she was meant to be. Each teacher candidate begins this journey from a different place. It is our job to help each achieve the highest level of professionalism and teaching acumen.”

In addition to partnering with community schools, the University enjoys valuable partnerships with Girls, Inc., (a non-profit organization that provides girls ages 5 through 18 a safe place to go after school and in the summer), Mercy House, a program that provides low-income housing for individuals with special needs, and of course, the Spellman Child Development Center which is located on the campus.

The education department assures that the students are prepared–and that the partners are prepared, as well. College of Saint Mary doesn’t go into partnerships lightly. Each is selected for its opportunity to provide a training ground for students, and an opportunity for the student to really make a difference by her presence there. “Our community partners understand our high level of expectation,” said Acklie. “They work with our students to meet those expectations. It becomes a real ‘win-win.’ Some of our practicum classroom partnerships have had College of Saint Mary students helping for 10 years in a row!” The partnerships are varied and allow College of Saint Mary students to gain application experience in their area of study, and to work with children from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures.

Our faculty are prepared, too.

Preparing College of Saint Mary students to enter classrooms armed with knowledge and theory starts right here on campus with dedicated faculty. In addition to being active with state associations, the faculty are motivated learners in their own right. They participate in webinars and conferences and continually access the latest research and best practices around the topics they teach. College of Saint Mary supports this learning with travel funds provided through the Liseux Fund and lecture series right here on campus at the Teaching and Learning Center. The faculty has a broad range of teaching experience in the K-12 arena. Current adjunct faculty members include a Alice Buffett Teaching Award winner as well as teachers who work daily in the field.

“One thing we do that may be underestimated in its efficacy is incorporate technology into our teaching,” said Felton. “We offer a specialized course and work with all students to prepare electronic portfolios. Over the years many of our graduates have become technology leaders in their schools because of their preparation at College of Saint Mary.”

“We model a high level of professionalism and expectation to our students every day for four years and it shows in their teaching and the way they approach the classroom. Our graduates have won awards for their teaching including Buffett awards, and Catholic Archdiocese teaching awards,” said Acklie. Felton added, “Part of our mission is to prepare students to go forth into the world. What is modeled and expected here, goes out into the world with our graduates. It’s not always easy, but we have to hold to our standards. Early in my career I had my first student cry in my office.  This student could share and discuss all of the content, perform wonderfully in her field experiences but turned in poor quality or late written work. I shared that she could easily be an A student given her knowledge and skills. She burst into tears sharing that no one had expected much from her. She buckled down performing in a way that matched her ability, and later after graduation told me that she finished her master’s degree and was a leader at her school. This is the reward we get–knowing that the product of our efforts is out making a difference in the world with confidence.”