Education Department Newletter - May 2022

And just like that, another year comes to a close! For me this school year was like no other as it represented my first as a part of the Trinity Christian College community. Over the course of this year one of the things that has struck me most about our department is how much joy there is for the vocation of teaching.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to see this joy in conducting more than 40 classroom observations this year. Each of you went above and beyond in welcoming students back to the classroom and navigating the challenges of making sure each child’s needs were met. Beyond the classroom, I’ve had the chance to witness the joy in collaborations between professors and students as we have:

• Revived clubs such as Best Buddies that provide an important service to the community.
• Provided professional development opportunities for K-12 partners.
• Established partnerships with multiple local K-12 schools that provide academic and extra-curricular support.
• Created and collaborated with other departments to provide on-campus learning events such as the Math Triathlon and Young Authors Festival.

These examples are a small sample of the great work that has been done this year and I look forward to the ways we will continue to grow and share our joy. I hope everyone has restful summer- you have earned it!

Michael A. Dieter, Ed.D. 

Assistant Professor | Department of Education

On May 5th, the Education Department recognized and celebrated 38 student teachers and 12 education licensure candidates during the Commissioning of Educations Ceremony and Luncheon.

“Commissioning is a special celebration for our students and a wonderful chance for our faculty and staff to wish them well as they enter the education profession. We truly hope and pray that all of our teacher candidates find joy and hope in their calling, and that they continue to grow and serve with excellence as they faithfully answer the call the Lord has placed on their lives.”                                                           -Dr. Lenarz

After a 2-year break due to Covid, the Education Department was delighted to host the Young Authors Reception & Festival on April 25 & 26.  Award-winning author, illustrator, and cartoonist Ben Hatke was featured at the Young Authors Reception. Ben delivered multiple workshops to the students, and graciously signed books for the Trinity community.   The event welcomed school partners, students, families, and volunteers to Trinity campus.  Over the course of 2 days, we were honored to collaborate with:

• 10 schools (Illinois & Indiana)
• 230+ elementary students
• 42 AMAZING Trinity student leaders
• 31 adult helpers
• 7 committee members

And through these collaboration, we hope to inspire the next era of Trinity students and future authors.

Meet Rapher Ryan, a current Student Teacher at West Aurora High School.

When Professor Cerney went to see Rapher for an observation, he sent us this email. “I went to see Rapher for one of his observations. For his Adapted PE class, Rapher and his cooperating teacher set up a Mario Kart themed game.  Most importantly, Rapher and his cooperating teacher dressed up to get the kids even more excited! The students went crazy for this lesson and I will be honest, this made my entire week! It’s so great that we have students like Rapher representing Trinity!”

When asked what he enjoyed most about this experience, Rapher replied, “I most enjoyed being able to connect with my students. Throughout my time teaching, I made it a point to make sure my students felt successful and supported. Students would talk to me about extracurricular activities, jobs, and hobbies they enjoyed which allowed me to support them outside of the classroom.

We love to see the amazing impact that Trinity students are having in their student teaching experiences! Please share your experience with education@trnty.edu.

Our first year of ECHO at Trinity has come to a conclusion. We were able to meet 16 times virtually to learn about Promoting Appropriate Behavior in the Classroom. We are reviewing the data and hope to have ECHO Education at Trinity again in the fall. If you have any topics you would be interested in hearing about, please let us know at ECHO@trnty.edu.

Our Professional Development Series wrapped up with a final session, hosted by Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, Professor of Education. Bill presented Workshop III: Improving Class Discussion (1 hour session) on April 27.

“It was enjoyable to have an interactive session. The Trinity teacher community has a lot of experience and it was fun to not only present some new information and research about teaching with discussion, but also to hear some of the approaches that Trinity teachers have developed on their own. The TEACH sessions are developing into an important way to keep the Trinity Educaiton community connected..” – Dr. Boerman-Cornell

Please stay tuned as we announce our next TEACH series session dates.

Full-time Teaching and Education related positions can be found on the Handshake system.

Part-time, full-time, internship and volunteer education related opportunities can be found on your Brightspace – Education Unit Home Site – Job Board.

Summer Camp Counselors Needed

Easterseals Central Illinois has a summer camp for children with developmental delays, disabilities, and other special needs through their Timber Pointe Outdoor Center, and they are looking for staff and counselors for their summer programming. Timber Pointe Outdoor Center supports campers with a wide variety of disabilities and chronic/challenging illnesses, facilitating adaptive adventure activities such as zip lining, canoeing, swimming, fishing, arts & crafts, archery, and much more. Each activity is modified so that all campers, regardless of mobility or ability level, can be included and empowered. Timber Pointe is located in Hudson, Illinois, but staff live on-site in cabins over the summer (room and board included).

To learn more, please visit: www.timberpointeoutdoorcenter.com/work.

For any questions, please reach out to Lydia Gartner, Timber Pointe’s Camp Director, at LGartner@eastersealsci.com.

If you have a story to tell or an opportunity to share, please email education@trnty.edu.

We’d love to hear from you.

Fall Semester: 

Aug 22: Fall Student Teacher Orientation

Oct 26: Connections Education Event

Dec 9: Student Teacher Commissioning Reception