Celebrating success is routine procedure for Ginger Murphy. Part of one wall in her Eisenhower Middle School language arts classroom resembles a beaded door curtain gleaming with magenta, yellow, orange and blue dots that form vertical ribbons sprouting from the top of
Read moreDouble-alumna Noemi Hernandez earns Kane County Educator of the Year award
Why does Noemi Hernandez teach? “The real reason? I’m just bossy,” laughs the double-alumna of the NIU College of Education, “so it naturally comes. I remember always helping my siblings with school, and I remember always thinking that if I could be
Read moreGraduates of Rockford RISE ready, eager for classrooms, given mayor’s gratitude
Rockford RISE has graduated 18 new teachers. Launched in 2024, the “Rockford Inspiring School and Community Excellence” initiative to turn Rockford Public Schools paraprofessionals into licensed teachers is the result of a grant from Grow Your Own Illinois, a long-time nonprofit organization
Read moreNIU PLEDGE-Elgin Community College graduates learn of their power, mission in the nurture of thriving communities
Nicole Morys knows what kind of teacher she will become this fall. “I want to teach because I want to inspire kids to grow and to be the best version of themselves, and also to just make my teaching environment comfortable for
Read moreNew Teacher Send-off instills graduates with appreciation of impact on students
Please think, Graham Davis instructed his audience of future teachers, of a time when they struggled yet persevered. Next, think of a time when they impacted someone in a way that was personal, not educational. Finally, think about a time when they
Read moreStudent Research Symposium provides glimpse of questions, answers, learning
In Alya Khan’s daily work as a registered behavior technician at a children’s therapy clinic, she experiences an aspect of autism that she wants to understand better. Many of her young clients present with a large deficit in communication skills, whether that
Read moreMary F. English Scholars present work during Student Research Symposium
College of Education students in pursuit of teaching professions can apply for the Mary F. English Technology Award, which supports and encourages them in that goal while also furthering their use of classroom technology. Participants – called Mary F. English Scholars –
Read moreNIU celebrates community engagement: COE ingenuity, initiatives take spotlight
NIU’s two-day Community Engagement Exemplar Symposium put several College of Education faculty front and center. Held April 15 and 16, and hosted by the Division of Outreach, Regional Engagement and Development, the event gathered “impactful NIU community-engaged scholars, practitioners and community partners
Read moreAspiring superintendents learn about AI, responsible implementation in schools
Developers of an NIU initiative that empowers K-12 students with rigorous and inclusive learning in the era of artificial intelligence took their message April 7 to a key audience. Aspiring superintendents. NIU College of Education faculty Eric Junco and Razak Dwomoh were
Read moreM.S.Ed. alumna Dana Freedlund named finalist for Rockford-area Golden Apple
Many teachers talk of playing school in their childhood basements as kids. Dana Freedlund did that, too. A chalkboard. A magnetic board. Desks. Worksheets that she handed out to her friends. She had it all. That’s not what drove her to a
Read moreNew Teacher Send-off urges graduates to ‘just remember why you’re doing it’
Graham Davis felt ready to become a teacher. His NIU College of Education curriculum. His clinicals. His student-teaching. He was prepared. But then came job interviews, followed by an unexpected thought: “I don’t know what I’m doing.” “After that third interview, I
Read moreAlumni stars of ‘A Teacher’s Shoes’ talk educational philosophies at film’s debut
NIU College of Education alumni featured in the new documentary, “A Teacher’s Shoes,” spoke about their work during a panel discussion held after the Nov. 12 debut screening. Educators Grace Desmsedt, Ashley Manor and Dominique Yackley told stories about creating routines that
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