Friday Memo: September 28, 2018
School of Education Faculty & Staff
During our fall faculty conference, we gather to take a group photo. There are occasions when we only communicate via phone or email and never get to meet the person face-to-face. Here's a face with the name! 😊
School of Education Faculty Meeting
The School of Education faculty met on Tuesday, September 25 and used the time to review our SWOT Analysis Report. Everyone reviewed individually and then we broke into groups to discuss our thoughts. It was a very productive process.
Health & Wellness Fair
The annual MBU Health & Wellness Fair was held on Wednesday, September 26. There were 26 vendors with information and free stuff!
Some of our brave folks got their flu shot!
Student Organizations Meeting
You are invited to join us at the first meeting of our student organizations - ASCD, MSTA, and Kappa Delta Pi. This is a great way for the education students to learn about the opportunities available to them through these organizations. We have some exciting things planned for this year and would like for all education majors to have the opportunity to participate. Lunch provided from Chick-Fil-A.
Spartan Preview Day - Spread the Word
MBU's fall Spartan Preview Day, set for October 6, is quickly approaching. The campus visit experience continues to be the most critical part of the enrollment cycle - with many students and their families making their college decision based in large part on their on-campus experience. Invite your friends and church family who have high school juniors or seniors to attend Spartan Preview Day. The morning will feature a light breakfast, an MBU information session, academic and athletic organizational fairs, a campus tour, and lunch. It's a great day to be a Spartan!
MBU Circle
I hope you all took time to read the article in the MBU Circle by our own Dr. Alicia Noddings. If not, here it is:
Engagement Through Vulnerability
Here in the School of Education, it’s hard to find a more frequently used buzzword than “engagement”. From psychological theory of the early 20th century to the latest classroom-based research, we know we learn what we do, or are engaged in, better than that which we simply read or listen to. But how do we, particularly in the university environment, get our students engaged in our subject matter and their future professions? As I had the luxury this summer of re-engaging myself with some fun reading, my engagement paradigm as a teacher made an unexpected shift.
The crux of that shift? I need to be vulnerable. I squirm in discomfort just thinking about it. Looks like this reading isn’t so fun after all.
I was first introduced to this idea of vulnerability through our Education Leadership Team’s reading of Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch, a book that our team is still working through together. But then I began Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, a social worker who focuses on research in the areas of vulnerability and shame. Her premise? The more that we allow fear to take hold in our daily lives,
encouraged by our need to appear strong, successful, and in control, the less likely we are to create, to innovate…and ultimately, to learn at all. So if I’m going to model effective learning to my students, I have to be willing to take risks: to be vulnerable and willing to fail.
Another way to view engagement through this lens of vulnerability relates to our human need for connection. We know that connection with others gives purpose and meaning to our lives – but how often do we acknowledge the opposite, that the fear of disconnection powerfully drives our daily choices and actions?
Think about that fear that a new concept we are presenting to our class doesn’t take, or a new piece of technology that we put in our lesson doesn’t work in front of 25 students. How much easier is it to teach the class the way we taught it last semester instead? The problem is, each time we do that, a little piece of us forgets what it feels like to be brave. And the next time we have the opportunity to stretch that courage by being vulnerable, it’s a little bit harder. It may feel like our world has gotten safer, but instead, it’s just gotten a little more closed off, as we disengage our-selves a bit more from that vulnerable, risky connection with our students, our colleagues, our friends, our families.
So I’m working each day to dare greatly, just a little bit, whether at work, in my personal relationships, in my communities, or in my faith. Brown provides an analogy in her book that helps me in this area as she tries to model daring greatly for her teenage daughter. The idea? “Show up and get wet.” If we never try anything that we’re not already good at, we’re never going to get better at anything new. No more growth, no more adventure, no more bravery. For Brown’s daughter, this involved swimming the breaststroke, her slowest stroke, at a swim meet. Mom’s advice? Instead of thinking about winning, or even getting on the podium, just show up in a swimsuit, get on the starting block, and dive into the pool. Get wet, and see what happens.
After all, if we’re hesitant to give it a try, odds are, so will be our students. If we don’t stretch our comfort zone, why should they?
Missouri Baptist University School of Education Facebook Page
If you're not already following our Facebook page, I encourage you to do so. We post lots of news about students, what's happening on campus, plus job opportunities for students.
Upcoming Meetings
October 1: Student Organizations Meeting at 12:30 pm at the Perk
October 6: Spartan Preview Day at 8:45 am
October 9: School of Education Faculty Meeting at 10:15 am in FLD 115
Closing Thoughts
Our verse for the year is John 15:12. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Thank you Alicia and Tammy for the input you shared at the faculty meeting about how you show love to your students. Alicia's perspective of having high expectations yet showing compassion is one that models Christ. Tammy shared a powerful verse that drives her actions as a teacher. Luke 6:40 - The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. She views her students through this lens knowing that when they are fully trained, they will be like her. We model for our students and upon completion of our training they will be like us. What a beautiful reminder of the power of our work with our students who will one day be like us.
During our fall faculty conference, we gather to take a group photo. There are occasions when we only communicate via phone or email and never get to meet the person face-to-face. Here's a face with the name! 😊
 |
| Back Row: Sue Pitzer, Lowell Pitzer, Clint Limoges, Shelton Smith, Justin Cook, Nancy Sickler, Susan Hladky, Alicia Noddings, Bridgett Niedringhaus, Marilyn Kay, Jason Jordan, Patrick Cleveland, Michelle Einig, Mark Engelhardt Front Row: Melanie Bishop, Laura Rauscher, Jim Chellew, Debbie Dumey, David Collum, Mandy Kehoe, Ellen John, Mary Ann Bouas, Tammy Cox, Jan Speck, Kathleen Wendt, Angela McGowan |
The School of Education faculty met on Tuesday, September 25 and used the time to review our SWOT Analysis Report. Everyone reviewed individually and then we broke into groups to discuss our thoughts. It was a very productive process.
Health & Wellness Fair
The annual MBU Health & Wellness Fair was held on Wednesday, September 26. There were 26 vendors with information and free stuff!
Some of our brave folks got their flu shot!
Student Organizations Meeting
Please share the following information with your students, if you haven't already.
You are invited to join us at the first meeting of our student organizations - ASCD, MSTA, and Kappa Delta Pi. This is a great way for the education students to learn about the opportunities available to them through these organizations. We have some exciting things planned for this year and would like for all education majors to have the opportunity to participate. Lunch provided from Chick-Fil-A.
Dear Future Teachers!
You
are invited to our
Annual Teach On Meet and Greet
Join us in the Perk
Monday, October 1st,
2018
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Come and
learn how Teach On will help you develop skills and gain knowledge as a future
educator!
Spartan Preview Day - Spread the Word
MBU's fall Spartan Preview Day, set for October 6, is quickly approaching. The campus visit experience continues to be the most critical part of the enrollment cycle - with many students and their families making their college decision based in large part on their on-campus experience. Invite your friends and church family who have high school juniors or seniors to attend Spartan Preview Day. The morning will feature a light breakfast, an MBU information session, academic and athletic organizational fairs, a campus tour, and lunch. It's a great day to be a Spartan!
MBU Circle
I hope you all took time to read the article in the MBU Circle by our own Dr. Alicia Noddings. If not, here it is:
Engagement Through Vulnerability
Here in the School of Education, it’s hard to find a more frequently used buzzword than “engagement”. From psychological theory of the early 20th century to the latest classroom-based research, we know we learn what we do, or are engaged in, better than that which we simply read or listen to. But how do we, particularly in the university environment, get our students engaged in our subject matter and their future professions? As I had the luxury this summer of re-engaging myself with some fun reading, my engagement paradigm as a teacher made an unexpected shift.
The crux of that shift? I need to be vulnerable. I squirm in discomfort just thinking about it. Looks like this reading isn’t so fun after all.
I was first introduced to this idea of vulnerability through our Education Leadership Team’s reading of Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch, a book that our team is still working through together. But then I began Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, a social worker who focuses on research in the areas of vulnerability and shame. Her premise? The more that we allow fear to take hold in our daily lives,
encouraged by our need to appear strong, successful, and in control, the less likely we are to create, to innovate…and ultimately, to learn at all. So if I’m going to model effective learning to my students, I have to be willing to take risks: to be vulnerable and willing to fail.
Another way to view engagement through this lens of vulnerability relates to our human need for connection. We know that connection with others gives purpose and meaning to our lives – but how often do we acknowledge the opposite, that the fear of disconnection powerfully drives our daily choices and actions?
Think about that fear that a new concept we are presenting to our class doesn’t take, or a new piece of technology that we put in our lesson doesn’t work in front of 25 students. How much easier is it to teach the class the way we taught it last semester instead? The problem is, each time we do that, a little piece of us forgets what it feels like to be brave. And the next time we have the opportunity to stretch that courage by being vulnerable, it’s a little bit harder. It may feel like our world has gotten safer, but instead, it’s just gotten a little more closed off, as we disengage our-selves a bit more from that vulnerable, risky connection with our students, our colleagues, our friends, our families.
So I’m working each day to dare greatly, just a little bit, whether at work, in my personal relationships, in my communities, or in my faith. Brown provides an analogy in her book that helps me in this area as she tries to model daring greatly for her teenage daughter. The idea? “Show up and get wet.” If we never try anything that we’re not already good at, we’re never going to get better at anything new. No more growth, no more adventure, no more bravery. For Brown’s daughter, this involved swimming the breaststroke, her slowest stroke, at a swim meet. Mom’s advice? Instead of thinking about winning, or even getting on the podium, just show up in a swimsuit, get on the starting block, and dive into the pool. Get wet, and see what happens.
After all, if we’re hesitant to give it a try, odds are, so will be our students. If we don’t stretch our comfort zone, why should they?
Missouri Baptist University School of Education Facebook Page
If you're not already following our Facebook page, I encourage you to do so. We post lots of news about students, what's happening on campus, plus job opportunities for students.
Upcoming Meetings
October 1: Student Organizations Meeting at 12:30 pm at the Perk
October 6: Spartan Preview Day at 8:45 am
October 9: School of Education Faculty Meeting at 10:15 am in FLD 115
Closing Thoughts
Our verse for the year is John 15:12. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Thank you Alicia and Tammy for the input you shared at the faculty meeting about how you show love to your students. Alicia's perspective of having high expectations yet showing compassion is one that models Christ. Tammy shared a powerful verse that drives her actions as a teacher. Luke 6:40 - The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. She views her students through this lens knowing that when they are fully trained, they will be like her. We model for our students and upon completion of our training they will be like us. What a beautiful reminder of the power of our work with our students who will one day be like us.
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