School of Education faculty and teacher candidates in special education. From left, Dean Doyin Coker-Kolo, Kaitlin Watkins, Amber Nevin, Brady French, Katrina Messmer, Leanna Wood, Taylor McClure, Carson Roos, Senior Lecturer Kathy Ryan and Assistant Professor and Special Education Coordinator Carol Bartlett.
By Steven Krolak
(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)—A new ceremony in the School of Education marks a milestone in the academic journey of teacher candidates.
The “pinning” ceremony recognized incoming Block 1 students—those who are moving from teacher education students to teacher candidates, including undergraduates and Transition to Teaching students. They have passed CASA, ACT or SAT tests with a higher than average score, achieved an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher and passed all General Education prerequisites with no grade lower than a C.
As teacher candidates, they will participate in course work and more intensive clinical experiences, learn about how to facilitate and assess student learning and deepen their understanding of student behavior and how to organize and manage a classroom.
In the past, the School of Education has held different orientations for individual programs, such as elementary, secondary and special education. The idea of a single orientation capped by the pinning ceremony strives to build cohesion within the school. And cohesion is an important part of retaining and motivating students through to graduation and into their teaching careers.
“The ceremony provides a collective forum for welcoming all our undergraduate students into the School of Education and to celebrate the teaching profession,” said Dean Doyin Coker-Kolo.
Transition to Teaching candidates are welcomed by faculty and School of Education leadership. From left, Dr. Jacque Singleton, Mrs. Terri Beard, Dean Doyin Coker-Kolo, Dr. Jim Hollenbeck, Mrs. Pam Kelly, Dr. Susan Ridout, Dr. Cathy Johnson, Mr. Jeremy Sebolt and Ms. Rebecca Dodd.
In her opening remarks, Dean Coker-Kolo praised the students for having demonstrated a solid background in the liberal arts, having made strides in understanding the lives of children both inside and outside of school, and having shown a true commitment to their profession and students through their attitudes and behavior.
Students received official IU Southeast phone cases and lanyards and a warm welcome from the professors of their areas of concentration, after which they joined the faculty and administrators for ice cream.
The ceremony was organized by Deborah Mink, associate professor of elementary education.
“The path to becoming a teacher candidate is very rigorous—students must not only complete their general education requirements with a high GPA but also pass the State-mandated test of basic skills and demonstrate appropriate disposition befitting a professional,” Coker-Kolo said. “We want our students to feel proud of what they have accomplished as well as what they will become.”
Homepage photo: Dean Doyin Coker-Kolo, Mrs. Glenda Hott, director of the B.S. Ed. program in Madison, Ind., with Madison teacher candidate Kreg Whigham and Deborah Mink.