Olivia Warren had never really considered becoming a teacher. A part-time job as an elementary school cafeteria/recess aide changed that. “I was interested in going into social work because I really like the mental health aspect,” Warren says. “Then, I started working
Read moreNIU PLEDGE, Elgin Community College add 18 elementary teachers to pipeline
The numbers tell an amazing story. Eighteen B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education majors started the third cohort of the College of Education’s PLEDGE (Partnering to Lead and Empower District-Grown Educators) program with Elgin Community College in the fall semester of 2021. All 18
Read moreEducators Rising conference encourages future teachers to join, enrich profession
Seventy-five high school students seriously contemplating careers as teachers gained powerful motivation May 25 during the Northern Kane Educators Rising Conference at NIU. Laurie Elish-Piper, dean of the NIU College of Education, made sure of it. Teachers, she told the teens gathered
Read moreReady to teach: Second PLEDGE cohort celebrates ECC-NIU education degrees
Michael Brady’s motivation appeared when he was in sixth-grade – in the form of a male teacher. For Jocelynne Escontrias, the role models in those School District U-46 classrooms shared her culture: “It was just great to see people lead by example
Read moreTeacher-licensure candidates volunteer at professional development conference
When the invitation came from the college’s Office for Student Success to attend the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) February conference in Chicago, the undergraduate teacher-licensure candidates weren’t sure what to make of it. But they weren’t about to pass
Read moreU-46 paraprofessionals ‘leap’ to begin journey to Special Education degrees
Thirty-five paraprofessionals from School District U-46 have begun their employer-paid pursuit of NIU bachelor’s degrees in Special Education. Part of the College of Education’s PLEDGE-Partnering to Lead and Empower District-Grown Educators initiative, the new Licensed Educator Accelerated Pathway (LEAP) program provides a
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