Winter 2012 Partnership Magazine - College of Education Home ...

artnership PCENTER FOR SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS
Winter 2012
Volume 4 Issue 4

Partnership
CENTER FOR SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS
College of Education
Jean Haar, Ph.D.
Interim Dean
Center for School-University Partnerships
Ginger L. Zierdt, Ph.D.
Director
Editor and Writer
Ben Pendarvis
Graduate Assistant
Designer
Gail Connelly
University Printing Services
Print Coordinator
Doug Fenske
University Printing Services
Center for School-University Partnerships
College of Education
Minnesota State University, Mankato
117 Armstrong Hall
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
Phone: 507-389-1217
Fax: 507-389-2838
Website: http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/
A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
System and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.
This document is available in alternative format to individuals with
disabilities by calling the College of Education at 507-389-5445 (V),
800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY).
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 4
The Center for School-University Partnerships (CSUP), housed in the College of Education at
Minnesota State University, Mankato, was established in 1988. The mission of the Center is to
interconnect, enrich, and sustain learning communities of students, staff, faculty and citizens from
the University and P-12 schools who foster human development, professional growth, and optimal
learning opportunities through research, reflection, and practice.
COVER
ON THE
Cover credits:
Design by Gail Connelly,
University Printing Services,
Minnesota State Mankato.

TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Winter 2012 Partnership
2 Director’s Note
3 Editor’s Note
INTERCONNECT:
ENRICH:
SUSTAIN:
This year, the Professional Development School partnership gains additional layers in depth and breadth. New
partnerships connect educators across the globe and across Minnesota while existing partnerships strengthen through
targeted collaborations. These collaborations, among others, have put Minnesota State Mankato in the national spotlight.
4 PDS News
5 New Partners
6 Partnership Development
Leadership Institute
AVID
10 Teaching Recruitment Updates
12 Support Updates
An innovative network of P-20 alliances support the development of teachers preparing at Minnesota State Mankato,
College of Education faculty, and teachers in PDS schools. Meanwhile, co-teaching sweeps the PDS transforming how
teachers work together to support students’ learning. New learning combines with action in continuing professional
development and a culture of partnership that extends into local communities.
14 Curriculum Updates
16 Field Experience Updates
18 Professional Growth
Integrated Field Services (IFS)
2011 Play Therapy Conference
20 Culture of Partnership
Saturday Study Buddies
Graduate Coaching Certificate
Educational researchers develop new systems to bridge the best practices of K-12 teachers and education faculty
at Minnesota State Mankato. Empowered practitioners, the Graduate Teaching Fellows and Teachers-On-Special-
Assignment, share their beliefs and knowledge on what it means to be an educator.
22 2011-12 Teachers-On-Special-Assignment
25 2011-12 Graduate Teaching Fellows
28 Assessment/Research Updates
1

Note From the Director
Ginger Zierdt
Dear friends,
In the Spring 2011 issue of Partnership
magazine, perspectives from PDS partners
were shared about the 2011 National
Association of Professional Development
Schools (NAPDS) Annual Conference. I
personally noted “sharing of practices
often…elevates the reputation and prestige
of the partnering organizations.” I’m
pleased to share that our PDS partnership
has continued to make its mark on a
statewide and national stage with 1.)
An invitation to our University President,
Richard Davenport, to speak with the
MnSCU Chancellor and Board of Trustees
in January regarding the NExT project
and its relationship to the PDS partners,
2.) An invitation by the NAPDS to apply
for the 2012 Exemplary PDS Achievement
Award, 3.) The election of one of our PDS
partners to the NAPDS Board of Directors,
and 4.) Numerous proposals accepted
for presentation at the 2012 NAPDS
Conference about Co-teaching, AVID,
and partnership development (domestic
and international) to name a few. These
recognitions, however, demand even
greater responsibility and increased levels
of enacted leadership by every stakeholder
who calls him/herself a “PDS Partner.”
There are partnerships…
…and then there are PDS Partnerships.
On April 12, 2009, the NAPDS
released a policy statement, “What It
Means to Be a Professional Development
School,” at its annual meeting. “The
purpose of the statement is to share with
the educational community the NAPDS’s
articulation of the term, ‘Professional
Development School,’ ” said past-President
Dr. Elliot Lessen. “This statement is not
intended to be either an evaluation or a
critique of the phenomenal work that has
punctuated PDSs over the past 20 years
but, rather, the association’s recognition that
there is a tendency for the term ‘PDS’ to be
used as a catch-all for various models of
school-university partnership work that may
or may not be best described as PDS.”
The NAPDS encourages all those
working in school-university relationships,
called PDSs, to embrace and uphold
the Nine Essentials* of PDS work
communicated in this statement. In this
issue of Partnership magazine, you will
read about the successes and challenges
involved in leading partnership work, and
meet highly engaged partners who keep
the PDS Nine Essentials at the forefront of
their daily work.
The Center for School-University
Partnerships, as a stewarding entity of our
PDS, strives to interconnect, enrich, and
sustain PDS partners. We live our mission
fully when our PDS partnership pushes the
Nine Essentials even farther – to advance
Big Ideas (like the NExT project), and most
importantly, to impact the success of our
students like no other collective could.
Best wishes,
Ginger L. Zierdt, Ph.D.
Director, Center for
School-University Partnerships
*PDS Nine Essentials
1. A comprehensive mission that is
broader in its outreach and scope than
the mission of any partner and that
furthers the education profession and its
responsibility to advance equity within
schools and, by potential extension, the
broader community;
2. A school–university culture committed to
the preparation of future educators that
embraces their active engagement in the
school community;
3. Ongoing and reciprocal professional
development for all participants guided
by need;
4. A shared commitment to innovative and
reflective practice by all participants;
5. Engagement in and public sharing of
the results of deliberate investigations of
practice by respective participants;
6. An articulation agreement developed by
the respective participants delineating the
roles and responsibilities of all involved;
7. A structure that allows all participants
a forum for ongoing governance,
reflection, and collaboration;
8. Work by college/university faculty
and P–12 faculty in formal roles across
institutional settings; and
9. Dedicated and shared resources and
formal rewards and recognition structures.
2 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

Note From the Editor
Ben Pendarvis
Graduate Assistant,
Center for School-
University Partnerships
Winter 2012 Partnership
A Culture of Partnership
For the 2011-12 school year, the
Center for School-University Partnerships
hit the ground running to fulfill its mission
to interconnect, enrich, and sustain
various learning communities. Learning
communities expanded and absorbed
new opportunities that have been built
and consolidated in the last two years
since the Bush Foundation supported a
broad initiative in transforming teacher
education, labeled NExT (Network for
Excellence in Teaching). Now, more than
ever, a culture of partnership pervades
the recruitment, support, preparation, and
development of new and existing teachers
across the PDS network.
This issue highlights the breadth and
depth of partnerships in this network.
However, it also describes the force
of professional growth that accrues in
institutions that celebrate partnership.
As more K-12 teachers, administrators,
and students, College of Education
and University faculty, Minnesota
State Mankato education students and
graduates, mingle with the services
provided by new and existing partners,
this culture of partnership becomes more
innovative and effective at various points
along the way.
Many students in our junior and
senior high schools are starting to look
at teaching as a viable and noble
profession, and they seek to learn more
through the collaborative efforts of our
Maverick Recruitment Coordinator and
the Teachers of Tomorrow program.
Minnesota State Mankato education
students learn effective and innovative
ways to transform the potential for students’
learning through invaluable opportunities
to co-teach and/or teach and learn from
other cultures around the world.
The same students see a level of
support as new teachers that can only
be found in pockets of collaboration
across the country.
Faculty and K-12 teachers have
come together in new and relevant
ways to collaboratively identify best
practices in their own teaching and
support the use of best practices for their
developing teachers.
Educational researchers seek ways
to bridge the efforts of all educators,
so that the evidence for best practices
flows easily between teachers in the
classroom and researchers in the field.
Meanwhile, CSUP continues
supporting the broad base of learning
communities with relevant professional
development and consistent forums for
collaboration. For this reason, institutions
all over the world seek partnerships with
Minnesota State Mankato Professional
Development School initiatives. As a
result, our teachers, professors, students,
and faculty steadily contribute to student
success in a context grander than their
own, one which contributes to a global
learning community.
Ben Pendarvis
CSUP Graduate Assistant
3

PDS NEWS New Partners
Zierdt Elected
to Represent
Mankato PDS
Dr. Ginger Zierdt, Director of the
Center-for-School-University Partnerships,
earned a spot on the Board of
Directors for the National Association
for Professional Development Schools
(NAPDS) last fall and begins her
appointment this spring.
The NAPDS vision includes the
advancement of research-based PDS
models and policies. The Association
produces a scholarly journal, magazine,
and website devoted to sharing
successful PDS practices. Every year a
conference brings together national and
international PDS teachers and faculty to
share their partnership strengths.
Inclusion in the direction of the
NAPDS elevates the Mankato PDS and
institutions involved, giving them a voice
in teacher education and promoting
policy.
Zierdt brings experience in the
advancement of a rural partnership
and the development of clinical best
practices within the network.
The previous issue of Partnership
featured the perspectives of Mankato
PDS presenters at the 2011 national
conference. Their topics ranged from
co-teaching to financial sustainability of
a broad partnership. More TOSA’s and
faculty will be presenting at the 2012
conference in Las Vegas.
To learn more about the NAPDS
and how the Mankato PDS is involved,
talk to your PDS colleagues- TOSA’s,
principals, superintendents, teachers,
University faculty, or supervisors. Or
you can visit the College of Education’s
Infobrief archives for PDS-related news:
http://ed.mnsu.edu/infobrief/
The 2011-12 school year welcomed 7 new members to the
Professional Development School (PDS) network. Four additional
Teachers-On-Special- Assignment join the team from St. Peter,
Mankato, Bloomington, and Owatonna school districts. Two new
superintendents joined the PDS Governance Council representing
districts in Faribault and Le Sueur-Henderson. The final member
assumed a vacant position in the College of Education’s Office of
Field & International Experience.
The PDS welcomes new insights and expertise into job positions
each year, but many new partners add their voices each week in
PDS sites providing unnoticed support and wisdom. Here are some
of the new members’ stories, in my words and their own.
Rich Hanson,
Le Sueur - Henderson
Superintendent of Schools
As a recent transplant to South
Central Minnesota, I am extremely
impressed with the high level of
collaboration and cooperation that is an
entrenched piece of our culture here. Well
before I began my role as Superintendent
of Le Sueur – Henderson in July [2011],
I came to know and appreciate the willingness of everyone to
come together and develop strategies to ensure we are all more
successful. The belief of “we can achieve more together” is very
evident, not only in our PDS partnership with Minnesota State
University, Mankato, but our surrounding school districts as well.
This is allowing us to provide even greater opportunities for all of
our children.
Most recently I came to LHS from Arcadia, Wisconsin, where I
served as the Elementary/Middle School Principal for the past five
years. I am originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, where I met my
wife, Ann, and we began our family of five children. Even though
they are all grown, our family is very important to us. I did both
undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Wisconsin –
La Crosse. The teaching portion of my career in education includes
teaching physical education and English Language Learners in
La Crosse. My Educational Leadership preparation took place
at Winona State University. My fifteen year administrative career
has included principalships in Black River Falls and Appleton,
Wisconsin, prior to my position in Arcadia.
The high level of support and commitment to our school district
along with the collaborative beliefs are just a few of the qualities
that made Le Sueur – Henderson so attractive to me. Together we
have already rolled up our sleeves and began moving toward the
future. The well established PDS network and partnership is one
that I look forward to closely working together with as well.
4 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

Heather Verstraete,
Bloomington TOSA
Heather Verstraete represents the
first official point of contact in the new
PDS partnership with Bloomington
Public Schools as a first-year TOSA.
Heather joins the PDS after an
extensive teaching career at the
elementary level in Bloomington,
including years of coaching volleyball
and basketball in middle grades. In the new position, she looks
forward to continuing her professional growth, finding ways to
adapt instructional techniques at all levels, and gaining a clearer
perspective of the education system to be more proactive and
forward-looking in the field. In a few words, she says, “I believe
in excellence.”
Heather gathers inspiration in different leadership roles
outside of education. As a founder/owner of a business called
Pivotal Pathways, she leads clientele in one-on-one personal
and professional development sessions. She notices great
opportunities for transferring leadership principles between her
business and her new educational position. In addition, she
spends much of her free time enjoying the companionship of her
two favorite horses, who live at a family farm and intuitively trust
Heather’s leadership skills.
Heather is another model PDS partner, bringing a range of
skills and talents to her professional roles and wanting to make
a positive impact on the education system as a new Teacher-On-
Special-Assignment.
Laura Linde,
Mankato TOSA
Laura Linde moves into the PDS
network as former Mankato Elementary
TOSA, Susan Levandowski, returned
to the classroom. The new TOSA
taught for seventeen years at Hoover
Elementary in North Mankato and
the last three years additionally as an
adjunct professor at Minnesota State
University, Mankato.
Laura says that education has always been her passion.
Outside of her extensive teaching practice, she engages with
local school policy serving on St. Clair’s School Board, just
recently vacating her member seat. In her adjunct role, she has
collaborated in action research studies involving reading and
literacy in the schools. In the same spirit of inclusion, she has
invited several foreign exchange students into her home over
the years from countries such as Brazil, Germany, South Korea,
Spain, and Japan. Even in her free time, she has volunteered at
a local hospice for the last several years.
Through all her educational experience, Laura admits of
Winter 2012 Partnership
learning how to listen well, but sees the new TOSA position
as an opportunity to become a better questioner. She has felt
comfortable in her transition into the Mankato TOSA cohort,
who as a large group display remarkable organization skills
and support each other in all they do.
Even though “leaving the kids was hard to do,” Laura
spends her free time with family: her husband, three sons, and
two grandchildren. Together, they enjoy fishing, travelling, even
on occasion racing a car in a Powder Puff race.
Drawing from all these sources for her personal and
professional growth, Laura abides by a clear vision: “Engage
in the big picture vision of the interdependence of partnerships
while being effective and responsive in all that relates to
education and student success.”
Todd Sesker,
Superintendent of
Faribault Public Schools
Professional Background
Ed specialist degree in education
administration
Master’s degree in secondary
education with emphasis on
technology
Major in mathematics and computer
science
Certification for secondary math teacher and coaching
14 years of teaching secondary mathematics, computer
science, and coaching
3 years as an athletic director
12 years as a superintendent of schools
Currently: Legislative Chair for MASA, advisory council board
member for Southeast Service Coop, and Legislative
committee member for SEE.
What do I look forward to in the new position/district
Building relationships with students, staff, and the community
Learning more about the programs that Faribault collaborates
with Minnesota State Mankato
Working collaboratively with school groups and community to
understand and address our student diversity and poverty
issues.
Continuing to look at ways to better serve our students both in
the classroom and with electronic learning solutions
My view and hopes as a new member of the PDS network
Get a better handle on the programs that Faribault is
collaborating with the PDS network and be able to offer
intelligent input to the committee
Learn new data driven teaching models that help us make kids
successful in the classroom, particularly diverse and/or
economically disadvantaged kids
Build positive relationships within the PDS community
5

Inspiring
Visions
Building
Bridges
Partnerships intricately scaffold
the preparation, support, and
development of teachers in the
Professional Development
School (PDS). They spring
from organized PDS initiatives
such as the PDS Leadership
Institute. They also originate out of
necessity and innovation, and usually
support or extend the collaborations
begun in broader initiatives.
The second PDS Leadership Institute
series continued in the fall semester with two
meetings smack in the middle of its 18-month
series of collaborative professional development.
These meetings followed a Summer Soiree in June
where participants pushed their limits on the Minnesota
State University, Mankato, Ropes Course with the
Adventure Education Program.
Leadership Institute, Cohort 2,
Fall 2011
The last time the 2nd cohort of teacher-leaders gathered they stared fear in the face
on forty-foot poles at the Adventure Education Program’s Ropes Course on the Minnesota
State University, Mankato, campus. This event kicked off their summer planning with
Professional Initiative Project (PIP) teams based in their home districts. PIP projects were
designed as a means for participants to address a district need and implement plans to
achieve common goals.
They met again on September 22, 2011, and took an opportunity to hash out the
details of their projects and share it with other district teacher-leaders. A common theme
developed around the use and support of technology in the classroom. An overwhelming
opportunity today for including new technologies in the classroom aligns well with the aims
6 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

of the Leadership Institute, which offered a session focused on
Global Education opportunities last February.
In accordance with September’s Signature Trend, a past
member from the first cohort, Lynn O’Brien, developed a
presentation on the impact of mental health initiatives in a school
and/or district. Her learning led a fellow Institute participant to
invite her to present again at staff development in Le Sueur as well
as generated awareness for the policies and practices currently in
place in PDS districts.
On November 18, the Signature Trend concerned strategies for
educating English Language Learners (ELL). A research-based activity
led participants through conversations on current ELL practices and
options for improving instruction and accountability standards within
their home districts. Participants returned from district discussions to
debrief their learning. As members commented on successes and
challenges increasing ELL achievement and/or culture, many spoke
to the force of PDS efforts, such as co-teaching and AVID, as effective
methods that can be accessed within most districts.
Adventure Education Program director, Sam Steiger, facilitated
activities in an effort to consolidate thinking and trust within the
group. The impact of these activities can be joyful and humbling,
and convey key themes for the topic at hand. For instance, one
activity entitled Lines of Communication stretched participants’ ideas
of the physical route a line of communication can take, particularly
considering some language as a barrier. Intentional, but silent
communication occurred within another activity and ended on a
collective success.
By January’s session, PIP teams will be nearing complete
implementation of their projects, which are listed on the right. Our
next issue will highlight the graduation of the second cohort and
their highlights from PIP projects. The remaining Signature Trends
will cover Early Childhood and Connecting with Family.
Winter 2012 Partnership
Le Sueur-Henderson
Building Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) for whole district,
where educators have access to global learning communities on
any and all personal projects and/or learning
St. Peter
Environmental scan, as part of district accreditation, reviewing the
demographics, programs, perceptions, and all forms of data to
inform new district and site plan
Waseca
Analyzing student progress and formulating possible intervention
solutions for students via the Viewpoint data system
Faribault
Using children’s books, produced in multiple languages, to be read
by high school students who speak the language, recorded on video,
and shared via the web with students, teachers, and families in the
community.
Sibley East
Mapping the K-12 technology scope and sequence across the district
Mankato
Studying the effects of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
(PBIS) in implementation across the district to determine which initiatives
are working and how.
Owatonna
Providing intentional staff development to facilitate collaboration for
implementation of co-teaching models district-wide.
College of Education
Providing teacher candidates and faculty in K12 & Secondary
Programs (KSP) and Special Education (SPED) ways to connect in
meaningful ways to reflect the need for collaboration in K-12 school
environments.
7

Questions about AVID
(Advancement Via Individual Determination)
Advancement Via Individual Determination is a national college readiness system that exists
across all grade levels. A secondary program began implementation in PDS schools through
the AVID Alliance, which is a first-of-its-kind partnership between the districts and the University.
The program provides skill development and support to students, encouraging more rigorous
coursework and inquiry-based learning, to increase the students’ enrollment and attendance in
four-year universities.
AVID began implementation in 6 PDS school districts this school year, accompanied by an
initial data review and a presentation to the Minnesota School Board Association proposing the
feasibility of P-20 alliances in supporting student and teacher development.
How has AVID helped you as a student?
“It’s helped me be more organized and to have better, more
effective learning.”
-Kennedy Straub, 9th grade, Le Sueur High School
“We think about the stuff we’re doing; we think deeper about
things.”
-Trevor Thomas, 9th grade, Le Sueur High School
“The tutorials help me, because I can present my problem and
get feedback from everyone else.”
-Julia Morales, 9th grade, Le Sueur High School
How has AVID impacted you, your students,
and/or your school?
School – A handful of general education teachers are already
implementing Cornell Notes in their classes because they like
the question and answer format as well as the idea of students
summarizing their learning each day.
Students – In addition to getting students to start thinking about
their futures from a career and postsecondary standpoint, the
students have become more organized, assertive, and selfconfident
people. They’re also increasing their awareness of
how other people – peers, parents, and teachers – can help
them reach their potential as students and human beings.
Me – Before the school year began, someone told me AVID
was going to be transformational, and I’ve found out that’s
certainly true. Being around a group of such hard-working,
fun, team-oriented, and motivated students has been a very
enjoyable and awesome experience. I’m also fine-tuning my
skills in organization, critical thinking, time management, and
goal-setting right along with the students.
Have you learned anything new about
teaching and learning since you started
working with AVID?
I love the AVID curriculum because of the variety the students
are exposed to – tutorials, group discussions, reading, writing,
field trips, guest speakers, team building activities, service
learning projects, etc. AVID has reinforced that it’s important to
incorporate diversity into your lessons so you keep all students
engaged and interested in what they’re learning.
-Dave Greisen, AVID Elective Teacher, St. Peter High School
8 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

How has AVID impacted your school, district,
and/or staff?
Since we are still new to the AVID program, any kind of
learning about it is certainly not data-based but is instead
gleaned from observation and change in practice. Sibley East
has viewed the AVID program from day one as an opportunity
to implement best practice in all classrooms, not solely in the
AVID elective classroom. Sibley East’s AVID elective class is for
10th-graders because of our current building alignment; at the
Arlington site, we are a 10-12 campus. Thus, the focus has
been on staff development of best practice techniques that AVID
uses – Cornell notes, WICR [Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration,
Reading], marking the text, Socratic seminars, etc. Each high
school staff member has undergone staff development training
from the AVID Site Team members with the goal of incorporating
AVID skills in all classrooms. This is a gradual process but the
buy-in from Sibley East staff has been sincere, and it is working
it’s way into the daily regimen of students. This will be an
area of continued focus as Sibley East’s overarching goal is to
have the tenets of AVID felt districtwide. Through the first three
months of school as an AVID site, we are very pleased with the
progress thus far.
-Stephen Jones, Superintendent of Sibley East Public Schools
How has tutoring with AVID impacted you and
your learning?
It’s been great to have the opportunity to interact with high
school students and see first-hand how the school system they
are part of impacts the opportunities they perceive and how
they view themselves. AVID has let me practice encouraging
students to help themselves and each other, rather than doing
the instructing myself. It means I can practice using a teacheras-facilitator
rather than teacher-as-instructor model in the
classroom.
-Lydia Peabody, AVID Tutor, Minnesota State Mankato
graduate student
How has AVID impacted the students and/or
school you work with?
Throughout the semester, I have watched the AVID class
develop skills and confidence that were not evident at the start
of the semester. They are beginning to understand how to form
questions that help other students learn, rather than tell them the
answer. They have more confidence presenting in front of their
peers, and are better able to coach themselves to answer their
own questions.
-Lydia Peabody
Winter 2012 Partnership
How did you learn from AVID and how has it
prepared you for college?
One of the key things I learned is perseverance. I learned how
to manage my time, write things down, keep a planner, keep
things organized. Now I have 2 planners, because I’m taking
16 credits, I’m on the track team, involved in many student
activities, and working. AVID pushed me; I knew I could do
more than in high school and it prepared me to be ready for
new challenges.
-Morgan Stampley, Minnesota State Mankato AVID
Ambassador, Freshman
What have you learned about teaching and
learning by helping implement AVID?
Since the program is new, the job of AVID Site Coordinator is
definitely one where I have learned a lot. I have found it to be
a rewarding position as we have had some student successes
in the program. I think the biggest thing I have learned is
about the power of keeping the conversation going about
college and the positive influence that having sustained focus
on such a goal is having already on some of the students.
-Tania Lyon, Mankato West Site Team Coordinator
9

Pathways to Teaching Growi
The College of Education Recruitment team started the new school year with valuable experience and plans to continue growing. Over the
summer, the team stayed active with summer education programs, campus visits, and creating detailed blueprints for enhancing the various efforts
put in place since inception last school year. While existing partnerships grow in scale and scope, new partnerships in and outside the College
of Education are created and more students hear the benefits of entering the teaching profession at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Pipeline #1 – Teachers of Tomorrow (ToT)
Over the summer, Maverick Recruitment Coordinator (MRC)
Robbie Burnett and Graduate Assistant Eric Karikari focused heavily on
the enhancement of the Teachers of Tomorrow work group for diverse
students at Minnesota State Mankato pursuing a teaching career. The
program’s vision, goals, and expectations were detailed and plans were
outlined for implementation beginning in the fall.
The team welcomed 6 new members representing Hispanic/
Latino, Hmong, and African-American populations, which brings the total
up to 11. Four members began the new school year with a one-time
$3,000 scholarship, which was provided for the first time this school
year to address a common barrier, affordability, to diversifying teacher
preparation programs.
Weekly meetings now occur according to plans that delineate
members into two levels, each with similar goals and experiences in
the teacher education program. Graduate Assistants continue to tutor
members in specific subject areas by request, but all members have
begun attending study table sessions four hours a week or more.
Members have the additional opportunity to tutor in Mankato Area Public
School’s new 9th grade Academy each week. They gain training from
Mankato TOSA’s that facilitate the Academy as well as form valuable
experiences in the field.
Returning member, Pathy Xiong, commented, “This year, ToT has
provided me with knowledge about updated classroom technology I
would have never known about until I was in the elementary blocks. They
College Awareness Day, Teachers of Tomorrow
also gave me the chance to be in the classroom where I gain experience
for my future teaching career. Knowledge and experience isn’t all ToT has
offered, the program also offers scholarships that has really relieved me
of financial stress. I have said this to others before: I wish ToT had been
available during my first years but I’m glad to be in it now because it has
put me on the right road.”
Each meeting focuses on a particular strategy for achievement and
success, at times bringing in faculty members to corroborate effective
practices. Group members stay in touch through a Facebook group and
assist in outreach events and/or campus visits. Burnett also hosted the
second annual Meet & Greet in August bringing together ToT members
and College of Education faculty for conversations surrounding academic
expectations and student perspectives.
New member Morgan Stampley described the benefits for her, “The
meetings are very helpful. We can get information from our teachers.
We’ve met and talked with principals, been able to tutor and help
Mankato students with their homework. It’s nice to know, as a young
student, that this is something I definitely want to do.”
Meanwhile, new graduate assistant, Paulkani Siddela, is collecting
data on the group’s participation and grades to measure improvement
and program effectiveness. Siddela also conducts research on recruitment
and retention strategies that succeed in supporting diverse students in
higher education, especially in teacher preparation.
10 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

ng Deeper and Wider
Pipeline #2 – Partnering in the Schools
During the 2010-11 school year the MRC made several
connections to schools in communities across southern
Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area. So far this school
year, these relationships have been enhanced in many ways
to consistently inspire the youth in our communities to make a
difference through teaching.
Existing relationships with Normandale Community
College, the Northwest Integrated School District, and
Professional Development School (PDS) districts, became
more intentional in maintaining a positive presence while
also looking ahead for chances to commence a Teachers
of Tomorrow summer camp at Minnesota State Mankato in
2012. The MRC and ToT members revisited the students in
Bloomington’s Leadership Club while also reaching out to
school staff, paraprofessionals, and teachers with student
panels happy to address teacher preparation and college
readiness. Normandale’s Introduction to Education course
invited Burnett to make the prospect of teaching real by
discussing opportunities through Minnesota State Mankato’s
innovative preparation programs.
The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
program increasingly offers chances for recruitment either
through Minnesota State Mankato’s AVID Alliance or in other
schools also employing the program. A former AVID student
and ToT scholarship recipient, Morgan Stampley, collaborates
with Burnett to deliver on-site presentations to AVID students as
well as AVID Alliance site teams in workshops. Meanwhile,
AVID Alliance classrooms have been visiting the Minnesota
State Mankato campus, guided by Teachers of Tomorrow and
learning more about the college experience.
State-level efforts such as Governor Dayton’s College
Application Week in mid-November involved Burnett in
participating PDS districts for help assisting high school
Winter 2012 Partnership
College Awareness Day, Nana Boakye, Teacher of Tomorrow
seniors, especially first-generation college-goers, in completing college
applications. Minnesota State Mankato received the most applications
among all MnSCU institutions. The Minnesota Department of Education also
recognized the MRC’s efforts within the College of Education by inviting her
and Dean Haar to discuss innovations that increase diversity in pipelines to
teaching.
The MRC, the Student Relations Coordinator, and graduate assistants
collaborate to provide as much opportunity as possible for identifying future
educators. As the MRC travels with the Teachers of Tomorrow to impact
youth in our communities, sustainability remains a priority through additional
grants and scholarships, research evidence, and program effectiveness. New
partners continually add opportunities to this dialogue while current partners
support Minnesota State Mankato in identifying, involving, advising, and
mentoring a broad and talented teaching force.
Teachers of Tomorrow members after a meeting
11

Teachers
SUPPORTING
Lori Bird and Carol Burns spent last fall collaborating with new
and existing partners to move closer to their mission of helping all
teachers be effective, confident practitioners. A new partnership
with the New Teacher Center in San Jose, California, frames a
valuable opportunity to expand the scope and scale of the Center
for Mentoring & Induction (CMI) at Minnesota State University,
Mankato. To launch this partnership, the Center began collaborating
with a consultation team of University and P-12 educators. The team
seeks to develop a common program
continuum that supports Minnesota
State University, Mankato, graduates
and other new teachers in PDS schools
their first three years teaching.
Teachers-On-Special-Assignment
continue to be a vital force
implementing new teacher support in
the PDS mentor network. Many act as
mentors and/or mentor leaders for their
district, and many of their colleagues
have contributed to the district’s program to provide school-wide
support. Bird and Burns complement the district’s activities by offering
current research-based mentoring practices, visiting PDS schools,
training mentor leaders and co-creating a support model specific to
the district’s needs.
The New Teacher Center (NTC) is a national non-profit
serving over 6,300 mentors and is dedicated to accelerating the
effectiveness of new teachers. NTC’s consultation with CMI for this
school year will “support our ongoing efforts to blur the boundaries
between pre-service preparation and the beginning teacher’s
experiences in P-12 systems. In addition, these activities build strong
relationships with other education professionals such as mentors,
supervisors, cooperating teachers, and fellow new teachers,” said
Bird on the intended effects of the partnership.
Bird and Burns collaborate and co-create consultation sessions
with Rhonda Dubin, New Teacher Center consultant and director
of the Southeastern Wisconsin New Teacher Project. Together,
they guide the PDS/Minnesota State
Mankato consultation team to identify
existing practices and seek out new
practices that will enhance program
effectiveness.
“I think the strength of this
program is the fact there is already a
partnership in place,” Dubin noted. “In
In my experience,
you can’t impact the effectiveness of
new teachers without that positive
relationship as the starting point.
– Rhonda Dubin
Teachers
my experience, you can’t impact the effectiveness of new teachers
without that positive relationship as the starting point. My goal now is
to help deepen the support of new teachers, because everything we
do is based on helping students succeed.”
Dubin helped lead the Southeastern Wisconsin New Teacher
Project from a consortium of 9 districts five and a half years ago
to 25 this year. In an effort to break the cycle of attrition common
to new teachers, the Project helped one school almost double their
retention rate to keep 91% of their new
teachers. The vast majority of mentors,
administrators, and new teachers
within 3 years who were involved in
the project reported a positive gain on
students’ learning in their new teachers’
classrooms.
“I think the work on mentoring
and induction is critical work. We
need to know how we can help new
teachers in the long-term, keep them
in our schools, and make them successful,” explained Brian Dietz,
Superintendent of Waseca Public Schools and contributing team
member. His participation on the team represents the Center’s desire
to include administrative support in all their efforts.
He continued, “That requires developing systems and processes
that can be adaptive on the job. The New Teacher Center brings a
scope and sequence to the team’s work. The meetings bring together
P12 and higher education, we look at our strengths and challenges as
partners and we’re building a blueprint to say that this is what we all
agree on.”
As the new partnership puts scaffolding in place, the current state
of mentor networks vary from district to district. An opportunity to plan
and implement common goals and objectives marks a collective step
in the right direction.
Le Seuer-Henderson TOSA’s, Jayne Gehrke and April Rosendale,
have helped facilitate their district’s mentor program since its inception
in the 2005-06 school year. Working closely with their administration,
they have helped secure a mentor for
each new teacher in the district for two
years, continuing support throughout the
third year.
Mentors and mentees generally
meet on a weekly basis, attend monthly
seminars and/or workshops, and
complete 3 observations with selective
12 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

QUT students and exchange program faculty with Principal Rick Lund, Rosa Parks Elementary School,
during 10-day field experience.
emphases. They help organize training before the school year starts
and midway through the year, where mentor-teachers are encouraged
to lead and train the new teachers.
“New and veteran teachers are seeing the value in having a
listening ear and helping others through the processes of teaching,”
Rosendale describes of their staff development. “The New Teacher
Center aligns well with NExT goals, in creating a continuum of
support from field experiences to veteran teaching.”
Gehrke agrees, “We want teachers to have a dynamic year,
Winter 2012 Partnership
Global Collaboration
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) collaborates with Minnesota State Mankato PDS partners
Australian students from QUT in Brisbane, Australia, visited Mankato
Area Public Schools for the second year in a row last November and
December. Lori Bird coordinated the experience for eight students through
an existing partnership between QUT and Minnesota State Mankato.
Although the primary reason for the exchange was the elementary field
experience, the students lived with Mankato families and attended typical
social and recreational events in the new culture.
Megan Goodall and Yasmine Pearce both student-taught within
kindergarten classrooms at Rosa
Parks Elementary for three weeks.
They appreciated the first real
snow this winter and gained
valuable cross-cultural teaching
experiences, enhancing their
abilities to be flexible, adapt, and
solve problems.
Megan noted the community
spirit inherent to the Mankato
school. She appreciated the fact
that all students learned together
in one building, unlike some
schools back home that housed
multiple buildings students traveled
between for different classes. Rosa
Parks seemed to build a culture
of celebrating students’ work and
accomplishments. Yasmine admired
the ability to gain intentional
learning in the how’s and why’s
of teaching since the curriculum
seemed to be so well-developed.
Both teacher candidates will begin
For more information on Bird and Hudson’s
collaborative research, see the Fall 2011 issue
of Frontiers magazine online, published on the
College of Graduate Studies & Research webpage.
QUT students who visited and cooperating staff from
Rosa Parks Elementary
Leah Gilmour
Megan Goodall
Kayla Hawkins
Alex Hodgson
Saraya Kirby
Yasmin Pearce
Nikkilee Portas
Belle Waterford
every year, and we’re very interested in making it work. The New
Teacher Center can help get us there.”
The Minnesota State Mankato/NTC consultation team will
present the results from their work with other PDS stakeholders this
spring. “Our partnership with NTC is just in its infancy,” said Bird.
“We anticipate an ongoing relationship that will only strengthen our
ability to continue to support our graduates, beginning teachers, and
our school partners for years to come.” Updates on its findings will be
included in the spring/summer issue of Partnership.
teaching soon after graduation, two days after returning home.
QUT faculty Dr. Peter Hudson and Suzanne Hudson accompanied
the students and spent three weeks interacting with Rosa Parks staff and
University faculty at Minnesota State Mankato. Both are project leaders
of Mentoring for Effective Teaching (MET), a collaborative faculty
project dedicating to improving teacher practice for their education
students, through mentoring by master teachers in Australian schools.
A long-running partnership with QUT concurrently fostered Bird a
chance to conduct research with Dr.
Hudson that compared Australian
Jennifer Klunz, Kindergarten
Deb Butzer, 2nd Grade
Denise Geistfeld, Kindergarten
Susan Levandowski, 5th Grade
Jamie Coon, 3rd Grade
Barb Enderlee, Physical Education
Amy Metcalf, 3rd Grade
Diane Shelton, Kindergarten
Emily Lowry, 4th Grade
and American teacher candidates’
perceptions on mentoring principles.
The recent exchange allowed
Dr. and Mrs. Hudson to lead a day
of professional development for
TOSA’s and University faculty on
their project research. In addition
to the concepts inherent to the MET
program, Minnesota State Mankato
educators were able to compare
respective mentoring techniques.
Their visit marks another opportunity
to enhance CMI’s capability of
incorporating best practices in
mentoring relationships.
The solid partnership contributes
to both University’s goals in
developing stronger teacher
candidates for their schools,
which steadily contributes to better
teaching in a global education
learning community.
13

Extra-Curricular Efforts from
PDS Educators
The Curriculum Redesign team has come a long way since last school year. Since then, new University and
K-12 school partners have joined the team to support the delivery of innovative changes in teacher preparation.
College of Education departments continue drafting and implementing comprehensive curriculum designs including
more field experiences for students and more professional training for educators.
The new school year began after a productive summer building out training opportunities for teachers and
students working with the Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA). As the year continued, educators from all venues
and disciplines kicked off a year of collaboration in the newly-formed Professional Learning Teams, which operate
to identify and apply best practices while building support structures for their effective use in the classroom.
New Curriculum
Last spring, we covered Secondary collaborations between faculty and
school partners. This fall, we feature the Elementary and Early Childhood (EEC)
department as they began implementing broad curriculum changes, creating more
field experiences and new learning opportunities.
By scaling down credit requirements and
consolidating course offerings, the department
added a third block of field experiences and
broadened the scope of the teaching license. The
third block offers experiences working with special
populations in the schools, and new teaching
methods began in the schools themselves.
Dr. Karl Matz took his first class of students
into the schools to deliver on-site instruction
immediately following the students’ field
experiences. These students were in a pre-block
Introductory course, which involved 5 half-day observations over 5 weeks. One
section met at Rosa Parks Elementary on Tuesday mornings, while the other section
visited Monroe Elementary on Tuesday afternoons.
One of the students, Matt Bristow, commented on the benefit of addressing
“
The PDS transition has been beautiful,
the TOSA’s have been fabulous,
and the partnership is only getting stronger and better.
We just have to have them involved,
said Peg Ballard.
relevant issues from the observation right away
with Dr. Matz, who has the wisdom of experience.
Heather Johnson enjoyed the combined perspectives
of the whole group, which could help fill in any gaps
of experience in her
own observation. Mari
Hutchinson and Lindsey
Johnston-Waddick agreed
and added that the option
to reflect on experiences
still fresh in the mind
kept them from forgetting
anything important.
EEC faculty member
Peg Ballard attributes
the strength of the PDS partnerships already in place
to the success of implementation efforts. As students
encounter more intensive coursework framed by
more experiences with the new Teacher Performance
Assessment and Charlotte Danielson’s Framework
for Teaching, PDS Teachers-On-Special-Assignment
gauge their impact in the schools and meet regularly
with department faculty to discuss relevant issues and
adapt delivery methods.
“The PDS transition has been beautiful, the
TOSA’s have been fabulous, and the partnership is
only getting stronger and better. We just have to have
them involved,” said Ballard.
To learn more about the EEC curriculum, visit their
webpage on the Minnesota State University, Mankato,
website at ed.mnsu.edu/eec/
Collaborative Support
To augment the force of initiatives catalyzed by
NExT project funding, the Curriculum Redesign team
found additional funding for Academic Redesign
to fully support the efficacy of forces like the new
Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA). As of this
school year, all teacher candidates will complete all
parts of the assessment, and University faculty, along
with K-12 school partners, will support candidates’
understanding of the assessment and its implications
for effective teaching practices.
14 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/
”

After the last full school year of
collaboration, the Redesign team foresaw
a need to make the assessment accessible
to all its users, that this would ensure timely
collaboration and a full understanding of the
requirements as they relate to practice. So
this summer 18 teacher education faculty and
K-12 school educators developed an online
module complete with multimedia resources,
documents, and tools.
“The goal is to make expectations for
the TPA clear throughout coursework and in
our teaching,” says Kitty Foord of the K-12/
Secondary Programs department.
Five teams covered
the initial four tasks of the
assessment with a team “
overseeing the technology
use. Each team gathered a
mix of materials to address
the objectives, measures,
evaluations, and resources
for each task, including
sample videos and student
work in specific applications. Additional
resource files were added for technology and
literacy issues.
Now, both teachers and students include
resources from their current curriculum in
Winter 2012 Partnership
the module. This is gradually building learning communities particular to districts and school
buildings, which in turn affects faculty instruction with the assessment and opportunities for
more development. Meanwhile, four Professional Learning Teams use the module as a base
from which educators extend applications to their practices that arise in their discussions of the
assessment, and the meetings provide a forum for reporting the results.
Learning Teams
As new curricula emerge and morph with current practice, educators from across
institutions accepted a call for collaboration in creating common, effective teaching practices.
Over 30 teaching faculty and K12 teachers began meeting regularly this fall to build
knowledge and practice with topics they collectively identified last fall in surveys and focus
groups as important to their schools and classrooms. Seven teams cover areas such as the TPA,
differentiation, and co-teaching this fall, and expect to add more learning teams reviewing
mental health and/or technology in spring 2012.
We’re learning to use differentiation
as a tool, not merely as a generalized concept,
because the bottom line is
what’s useful for us in the classroom,
said Jeff Pribyl.
”
Curriculum Area Lead, Kitty Foord, commented,
“We can’t transform practice, or integrate theory or
ideas or learning, without ongoing, job-embedded
development to support it.”
Some groups meet face-to-face, which in many
cases means transportation to and from common
destinations, while others meet in online forums
at least four times over the semester. Jeff Pribyl, a
Chemistry content area professor, meets with two
elementary educators from Le Sueur-Henderson and
Assistant Director of the Office of Field & International Experience,
Laura Bemel, to discuss differentiation strategies.
“We’re learning to use differentiation as a tool, not merely as a
generalized concept, because the bottom line is what’s useful for us
in the classroom,” Pribyl said.
The Learning Teams are based on K-12 Professional
Learning Community empirical research, which focuses on
ongoing development, diverse membership, fostering
collaborative relationships, and meeting diverse
needs. Pribyl added, “To be able to use or know the
material, we must talk to people who are using it
regularly.” He said it’s more effective when each
of them think specifically about instructional
techniques they use in their own courses.
The team found a common resource in a
book called The Differentiated Classroom,
and members alternate teaching each other
about the material through the lens of their
own practices, which can come through life
experiences as well as classroom environments.
The development of these resources and
practical strategies will inform the practice of
future teachers and education faculty, so a common
language and understanding surrounds the flux of its
practice. In an agile response to this flux, the Learning
Teams’ success depended partly on the participants’ ability
to extend learning into increased collaborations in their
respective environments.
Educators from the College of Education and related
content areas mixed with K-12 educators from Mankato,
St. Peter, Le Sueur-Henderson, and Sibley East school
districts. If you’re curious about participating in upcoming
Learning Teams or would like to catch up on the learning
and products that have come out of current teams,
talk to your PDS colleagues. They could be TOSA’s,
administrators, teachers, or professors, and they’re willing
to share.
15

Effective Field Experiences
Impacting Education
The Office of Field & International Experience (OFIE) acquired new leadership this year in Kristin Dauk, an experienced
Professional Development School (PDS) teacher and mentor in Mankato. Her familiarity with structures in our school-university
partnerships gave her a leg up in directing the Office’s variety of initiatives. For instance, the Office shares a lead role in
Integrated Field Services, helps support the administration of the Teacher Performance Assessment, develops international studyaway
opportunities, and facilitates the broad success of co-teaching in its full implementation with all teacher candidates.
Co-Teaching
Carrie Chapman, in K12 and Secondary Programs, oversees co-teaching across
the university and has been sharing the emerging research around the country. All
departments helped their teacher candidates co-teach last fall except for Special
Education’s newest program, which begins co-teaching this January. The quantity and
quality of co-teaching practices across the Minnesota State University, Mankato, College
of Education and partner schools since it began has created many opportunities for
improving teacher practice.
Since last year, Chapman and colleague, Marti Sievek, have worked together to
create videos out of the effective practices Minnesota State Mankato candidates use in
PDS schools, to use as a demonstration tool in training and development. Co-teaching
principles have since matriculated into other clinical experiences as well as in the
collaborative work done between faculty in the College.
Chapman joined Teri Wallace, Special Education professor and Grantwriting Area
Lead for the NExT project, in piloting research on the effects of co-teaching on student
and teacher engagement, as the immediate effects have indicated a powerful impact on
improving teacher practice.
“I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way,” Andrew Kuklinski, co-teacher at St.
Peter High School, explains about his student-teaching experience last spring. Since first
encountering co-teaching in a field experience prior to student-teaching and subsequently
being hired in the same school where he now co-teaches with another teacher, Kuklinski
sees its benefits.
“What I learned since my first experience is that I just have to give it my all. There’s
no standard for how to co-teach, some are harder, some are easier. You have to adapt,
and confront issues as soon as possible in a respectful and productive way.”
Kuklinski noticed achievement and confidence go up in his students, and learned that
the strength of the practice lies in the strong relationship between the co-teachers and their
ability to effectively plan and communicate together.
His original co-teaching partner, Peggy Dimock, added, “We did everything
together: chaperoned dances, went to sports games, we evaluated student work
together. I wasn’t evaluating him, we were working together as a team. The kids had a
substantially better time with the both of us in
there. It energized them, and our discussions
helped them discuss more easily. It would be
hard to host a candidate without co-teaching.”
Other educators who have seen it in
practice agree. For instance, Chapman visited
a school district in Ypsilanti, Michigan, by
invitation to lead two days of training. Her new
book drew an enthusiastic education crowd
at a publishing event with her co-author, Cate
Hart Hyatt, and she presented the impact
of co-teaching at the Minnesota Association
of Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE)
conference with Teri Wallace last semester.
OFIE Director Kristin Dauk and TOSA Bridget
Weigt presented the co-teaching program at
the National Convening on Clinical Practice in
Washington, D.C.
PDS Reputation Growing
In the previous issue of Partnership magazine
(Spring 2011), you may recall a story featuring
"Perspectives" from the 2011 National Association
of Professional Development School (NAPDS)
Annual Conference. One perspective highlighted
the interest of Northern Illinois University (NIU)
in our multi-district PDS partnership following
a number of presentations they attended at the
March 2011 NAPDS Conference.
NIU's interest prompted an invitation for
a site visit and day-long retreat, facilitated by
Minnesota State Mankato PDS, to NIU education
faculty. Not long after this invitation, a second
one was received by the University of Wisconsin-
River Falls.
UW-RF's Assistant Dean of the College
of Education, Dr. Mary Wright, left CSUP
Director, Dr. Ginger Zierdt, a very compelling
request: "After attending numerous Minnesota
State Mankato sessions at the 2011 NAPDS
Conference, we really want to learn more about
Mankato's PDS model and your Co-teaching
model. Might we come visit for the day or will you
come to River Falls?"
On Monday, November 14th, a delegation
of eight University faculty members and P-12
partners (teachers and administrators), visited
Co-teaching classrooms, Teachers-on-Special-
Assignment (TOSAs), and teachers/administrators
at Le Sueur-Henderson High School and Mankato
East Senior High School, and visited with
University faculty and TOSAs at Minnesota State
Mankato about the PDS model, the TOSA/Fellow
Program, and more Co-teaching.
As a result of this day, Dr. Carrie Chapman,
Minnesota State Mankato faculty member and Coteaching
Coordinator, was invited to facilitate kickoff
training in Co-teaching for the first University
of Wisconsin-River Falls Co-teaching pairs cohort
in early January 2012.
Congratulations to all the presenters at the
2011 NAPDS Conference who prompted such a
swell of interest in our PDS partnership as well as
expanded the boundaries of what we know as
a learning community to share our practice and
knowledge to impact even more learners.
16 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

Marti Sievek can speak to the positive effects of the strategy on his
education students. Last fall, he officially began incorporating co-teaching into
the field experiences of his Level 2 students (of 4 levels, the last being student
teaching). In his courses, students spend 4 weeks co-teaching together in a
school after 4 weeks of learning how to co-teach with and for their peers while
justifying their instructional decision-making. Sievek noticed an increase in the
amount of time students devoted to the planning process for their collaborative
teaching, a mark of the strategy’s strength.
Marti Sievek collaborated with Chapman and faculty across the College of
Education to generate broader awareness. He produced two videos originally
as a means for training new general education co-teachers, but has since
begun spreading awareness through several College of Education partnerships.
Development director, Jeff Halbur, uses the video with potential donors, Mymique
Baxter showed the video and discussed the opportunities for the Teachers of
Tomorrow to participate, and educators in Costa Rica expressed interest when
Sievek visited to develop study-away options last November.
Chapman grants the success of implementation to the strength of the PDS
partnerships currently in place, which increases the agility of applications and timely
feedback. Training will continue for education students and cooperating teachers
this January for over 125 pairs and their University Supervisors. New research data
will be collected this spring regarding student and teacher engagement, and data
capturing program evaluation and implementation will continue this spring as well.
Global Collaboration
Study-away opportunities continue to expand the education learning
community within a global context. As Minnesota State Mankato students benefit
from cross-cultural exchange, educators from our PDS and in other countries gain
the ability to improve teaching practice in a variety of settings.
This fall, the Office of Field & International Experience continued a strong
relationship with students from the Caboolture campus of Queensland University
of Technology (QUT) in Australia, sent students and a Teacher-On-Special-
Assignment to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in an evolving partnership
initiated by Minnesota State Mankato President Emerita, Margaret Preska, and
visited Costa Rica for possible student placement, resulting in great interest from
the country’s Ministry of Education to build a partnership.
This marked the second year that QUT teacher candidates visited Mankato
schools to gain field experience. This time, however, the Australian faculty who
came along led some of their own professional development concerning the
partnership between our Center for Mentoring and Induction and Mentoring for
Effective Teaching, a QUT initiative spreading support services for mentoring
and induction in Australia. This training involved PDS TOSA’s, Integrated Field
Services staff, and partner faculty involved in the PDS mentor network.
With similar hopes for collaborative learning, educators at Al Sorouh
American School in Abu Dhabi invited two Minnesota State Mankato teacher
candidates and a PDS TOSA to develop strategies for improving teacher practice
while increasing elementary students’ achievement.
For example, Le Sueur-Henderson TOSA April Rosendale led staff
development trainings and collaborated with the teachers in their classrooms
based on successful techniques she employs in her home PDS district. Teacher
candidates Laura Priebe and Maria
Fowler spent six weeks teaching
English lessons, co-teaching with
Emerita teachers and each other,
and leading staff development on
the Danielson Framework as a way
to support effectiveness.
Rosendale commented in
her blog about the experience, “It
has shaped my thinking, clarified
my values, and provided the
best professional development
experience I have ever had.
“I knew that I would be
stretched, and I was. Working in a
new school, in a different culture,
Winter 2012 Partnership
COE faculty Marti Sievek and Kristin Dauk with
Costa Rica Spanish Institute director, Marvin López.
required me to abandon my need for structure and be
receptive to new opportunities.”
Meanwhile, a teacher in an experimental school
in Costa Rica had a desire to expand the opportunities
for students studying English in her school. Hannia Leon
Fuentes, Academic Coordinator and teacher at the Liceo
Experimental Bilingue (Experimental Bilingual School),
Turrialba, was inspired by Minnesota State Mankato’s
relationship with QUT and contacted the Office of Field &
International Experience.
After Dauk and Sievek visited with educators in San
Jose, Manuel Antonio, and Turrialba last November, our
teacher candidates will potentially help bring in new ideas
for teaching English and inspire new partnerships in the
school next fall 2012. As they gain language instruction
from Costa Rica Spanish Institute teachers, they will live
with a Tico family and participate in service learning
projects. Costa Rica’s Ministry of Education expressed
interest in developing the relationship further to include
co-teaching training and facilitation.
In addition to these unique experiences, the Office
of Field & International Experience serves to enhance the
quality of clinical field experiences before student teaching
(for an example, see the Curriculum updates about new
practices in the Elementary department). In tandem, the
quality of professional development for the faculty who
employ these comprehensive strategies increases each
year as well. Dauk and assistant director, Laura Bemel,
work closely with K-12 teachers and College of Education
and content area faculty to continually improve the
effectiveness of our teacher candidates.
17

Re -Integrated
Field Services Collaboration
The Integrated Field Services team
commenced its second year of support services
to P-20 educators (that’s pre-school into the first
three years of teaching) at the TOSA Tune-Up
on September 8, 2011. The addition of new
partners, including changes to current job duties,
within administration, University faculty, and P-12
teachers created the need to adapt delivery
methods and enhance collaboration efforts.
Integrated Field Services began the 2010-
11 school year as a cooperative between the
Center for School-University Partnerships, the
Office of Field & International Experience, and
the Center for Mentoring & Induction, who codesigned
development opportunities supporting
all PDS partner initiatives.
The IFS team met in July 2011 after Carol
Werhan left the director position with OFIE,
and welcomed Kristin Dauk into the planning.
Leaders assessed the current state and built
action plans for their desired state, which
included an effective look at how the Teacher
Performance Assessment (TPA), its practitioners
and administrators, could be supported once the
full weight of accountability was added in the
new school year. As a result, the entire College
of Education faculty could use their help.
New director, Kristin Dauk, explained, “We
want to make it pertinent to what they’re working
on right now, and how they can move it forward.”
One meeting each month faculty,
supervisors, and TOSA’s gather together to
increase proficiency with the assessment.
Kristin Dauk, Laura Bemel, and Carol Burns
facilitate discussions around detailed analyses
for each part of the assessment as well as build
a common understanding of how to score a
candidate’s performance.
18
One of these sessions invited a faculty
member from St. Cloud State University wellversed
in performance assessments and the TPA,
Dr. Kathleen Ofstedal. She provided numerous
resources and ideas while answering questions
that had come up since it began as a pilot last
year. She urged educators to view the TPA as a
“diary of student-teaching, because it is what a
good teacher does.” She added, “It’s all about
asking good questions about our practice.”
IFS leaders also noted the advantages
of last year’s learning community with the
Teachers-On-Special-Assignment, who are
involved in nearly all professional development.
The group, which expanded quickly within the
NExT initiative to include 18 this year, needed
more time to share their effective practices and
relevant questions with each other and IFS
leaders. At the same time, the significant level
of engagement from the TOSA’s built equity
into the governing structure, where all can now
contribute and benefit from each development
session.
The new TOSA Response Forum,
held once a month, delineated time for all
stakeholders to contribute and benefit. Leaders
divvied up the areas of responsibility for the
group as a whole and connected each one to
a leader based on their strengths in that area.
TOSA’s picked up a time slot for sharing and
presenting their own learning. College faculty
received invitations to attend the final time slot
of each day, where departments could meet
and plan more with the TOSA’s who coordinate
and support their students in the schools.
Last fall, faculty and P-12 educators
created a responsive and agile system for
developing the talents of every educator in
the PDS. As new development occurred within
the IFS scope, including mentor network, field
placements, clinicals, and PDS NExT initiatives,
teachers had more opportunities for practicing
and reflecting on their learning.
TOSA’s shared key documents organizing
complex projects so others could streamline
their efforts. They kept each other up-to-date on
learning specific to their organization or field
of experience. IFS collaborated with TOSA’s on
specific objectives in coordinating a vast amount
of placements and mentoring relationships.
Effectively communicating and
collaborating has become the standard for
the IFS team. Their abilities to respond and
adapt to all stakeholders’ needs keeps the PDS
running smoothly, and will continue doing so
into the new year.
The Integrated Field Services Team
> Kristin Dauk and Laura Bemel
(Office of Field International
Experience)
> Lori Bird and Carol Burns
(Center for Mentoring & Induction)
> Ginger Zierdt and Paul
Preimesberger (Center for
School-University Partnerships)
Breakdown of IFS Leadership
OFIE
Field Experience placements,
including long-term placements
Study Away Experiences
Co-Teaching/TPA
CMI
Professional Development,
PDS Mentoring and Induction
Cognitive Coaching
New Teacher Center Partnership
CSUP
PDS Leadership Institute
PDS Governance Council
NAPDS Annual Conference
Sponsor
Graduate Teaching Fellows
and Teachers-On-Special-
Assignment
Advancement Via Individual
Determination (AVID)
Twin Cities Partnerships
http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

7th Annual Fall Play Therapy Conference
Techniques,
Techniques,
Techniques
Minnesota State University, Mankato, hosted another large crowd for the 7th Annual Play Therapy
Conference in the Centennial Student Union on September 23, 2011. Over one hundred students and
professionals from Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin gathered to learn about research-based
play therapy techniques from one of the field’s leaders.
Sueann Kenney-Noziska, founder and owner of the Play Therapy Corner in La Mesa, New Mexico,
specializes in using play therapies in clinical practice. Her new book, Techniques-Techniques-Techniques:
Play-Based Activities for Children, Adolescents, & Families, compiles many of her own play therapy
interventions along with supporting clinical, theoretical, and empirical research.
Her seminar covered eight treatment areas, from assessment and emotional expression, coping skills
and ADHD, to self-esteem, interpersonal boundaries, sexual abuse, and termination. Consistently transitioning
between lecture, case examples, and experiential exercises, Kenney-Noziska kept participants engaged and
fostered a collaborative learning community throughout the day.
She brought her own intervention materials and set them up in clusters around the room, creating a
playful, colorful atmosphere while taking the group through their uses and possibilities. She spoke and
moved confidently, an ease likely acquired over many years as an active leader and practitioner at the
state and national levels for the Association for Play Therapy.
Regular attendees noticed Kenney-Noziska’s thoughtful and structured approach to the workshop.
Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Barbara Skodje-Mack, has returned many years since the first
conference to brush up on relevant techniques she can apply to her own practice in Mankato. Recently,
she began doctoral work in the Counseling & Student Personnel department and appreciated the
speaker’s inclusion of empirical and theoretical research foundations to each practice.
Another Mankato professional, Sara Mennen of the Mankato Marriage & Family Therapy Center,
comes each year to enjoy the kind of collaboration Kenney-Noziska employed. “It’s not often that
there’s enough time for play therapists to come together,” she said. “I leave each conference with new
techniques, or at least new conceptions of things I already knew.”
Winter 2012 Partnership
> The conference is
sponsored by Minnesota
State Mankato’s Academy
for Child and Family
Studies, the Department
of Counseling & Student
Personnel, the Center
for School-University
Partnerships, and the
College of Education.
> As an Approved Center
for Play Therapy Education
through the Association
for Play Therapy, the
Academy for Child and
Family Studies offers this
annual conference as well
as graduate training in the
Department of Counseling
& Student Personnel,
clinical supervision, and
graduate credit options for
attendees.
Both Mennen and Skodje-Mack practice play therapy regularly, mostly with kids but also with many adults, as a way of relieving
pressures on talking about themselves and helping them achieve better expressions and insights at the same time. They participate in each
conference because empirical techniques and theories are steadily bringing more credibility to play therapies and their impacts on children
and families.
Next year, Dr. John Seymour, Minnesota State Mankato’s expert in the field, brings Dr. Eric Green to present on Jungian Play Therapy with
children. Until then, participants have a chance to strengthen their impact on clients’ well-being with Sueann Kenney-Noziska’s techniques.
19

College of
Education in the
20
Mankato Community
Among all the NExT activities and Center
for School-University Partnerships projects,
the College of Education has built another
partnership with the community to impact
Mankato students and families. Last year,
Mymique Baxter, the College’s Student Relations
Coordinator, began to work with Abdul Alasow
in response to a need he saw in the community.
Their partnership invites children from the
community to Minnesota State University,
Mankato, for extra help with their schoolwork.
They are known as the Saturday Study Buddies.
Baxter and Alasow have built relationships
between all sides of a child’s education,
including teachers who make materials and
assignments available as needed. Several
education students from College and content
areas volunteer to direct age-appropriate
learning in the Educational Resource Center
of the University library for two hours each
Saturday morning. The impact on
Mankato’s children has
increased since it
began in spring
2011 to recently
serving about
25 students
of all ages
last semester
in eight
sessions.
Alasow
reached out to
Baxter in the
College of
Education for a
connection in reaching
Somali students, whose
parents needed help
supporting many
of their
children in their school learning. Habiba Elmi brings
her children each Saturday to make more time for their
education. She communicates with Baxter on specific
subject help that’s needed each week between
children from the families involved.
As the school year developed, students needed
more help with Math and Science content, especially
in acquiring these basic principles as elementary
students. For that need, the Study Buddies participated
in the MN-ACS Chemists in the Library event on
campus that was part of the American Chemical
Society’s National Chemistry Week, where chemistry
and biochemistry students volunteered to make science
real through experiments. The need may extend into
a Homework helpers program or a summer program
where students can continue reinforcing science and
math learning from the school year.
Fanah Adam, another parent, expressed a
benefit in bringing children to the University for
extended learning, in that it can familiarize them with
the idea of attending a college such as this one in
the future. He also appreciates the opportunity for his
children to be able to receive one-on-one tutoring,
which seems to work best in solidifying their
learning.
Occurring alongside the new AVID
program at Mankato West, this program
adds hope for making academic success
a reality for all students. The partnership
could go full-time due to its rapid growth
and strong relationships. New and
existing buddies could receive more
help on Sundays, tutorial sessions
for Science and Math could help
students during the week, all
while strategic partners are
sought within the schools for
even more impacts, including
PDS Teachers-on-Special-
Assignment.
For more information,
contact Mymique Baxter
(mymique.baxter@
mnsu.edu) in the
College of Education
or Abdul Alasow
(abdulkadir.alasow@
mnsu.edu).
Minnesota
State
Mankato
teacher
candidate
reading with
Mankato children
in library
http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

Innovative Program
Targets
Coaching Community
Department of Human Performance (HP) faculty members partnered
to create a unique opportunity for educators and coaches, at all levels, to
benefit from intensive professional training. In response to an increasing
demand for professional coaches across the country, faculty sought
Strategic Priority Funding to develop the only Master’s-level coaching
certificate in the country. The certificate marks the first step to building a
Master’s degree program in Coaching Education.
Starting in the summer of 2012 current coaches and educators can
broaden their impact on youth with courses addressing the developmental,
physiological, administrative, and psychological aspects of coaching. The
courses will occur online during the summer and provide 15 credits towards
a certification based on state standards as well as national sport and
physical education coaching requirements.
The fact that it’s online means participants need not live in Mankato
or even Minnesota to complete the program. In fact, a new policy allows
graduate students to receive in-state tuition, no matter where they’re
completing coursework. Plus, the fifteen credits will count
toward continuing education credits, a possible lane
change, and a possible Master’s degree in Coaching
Education.
Dr. Cindra Kamphoff collaborated with other HP
faculty, staff, and coaching educators in the community
to build a program convenient to practicing teachers and
coaches. She appreciated the chance to innovate with
colleagues to address a real-world need in the community
and across the nation as well. She got the idea while
attending the Applied Sport Psychology Conference and
hearing the success of a similar program at Georgia
Southern University. After gathering national and University
research, she understood the impact the certificate could
have on youth in and around the Mankato community.
Athletic Director at Mankato West, Ken Essay,
sees the reality behind the need for this certificate. “In
the last 10 or 15 years there has been a shift in the
coaching profession. More community members are
becoming coaches. Coaching and teaching are a very
natural pair, and we need to do anything we can for the
development of coaching educators.”
After all, he said, “Coaching is a beautiful
gift that can truly impact our youth in ways that are
incomparable to other professions. Minnesota State
Mankato has done a great job reaching out to
educators in southern Minnesota, listening to us, making
it work for us.”
For more information on the certificate’s
development, visit a new website found on the
Department’s webpage
http://ahn.mnsu.edu/hp/coachinged.
Winter 2012 Partnership 21

2011-12 Teachers On
Special Assignment
The Teacher-On-Special-Assignment (TOSA) and corresponding Graduate Teaching Fellows positions actively
enforce the principles of the Professional Development School. Their steady contributions over the years have led
to the largest cohort yet. Eighteen TOSA’s now impact student and teacher achievement in the 2011-12 school
year, welcoming new partners from Bloomington and Owatonna. On the other hand, 19 Fellows occupy PDS
school buildings across all grade-levels.
In an effort to celebrate the best practices and ideals of teaching and lifelong learning, I asked the TOSA’s
and Fellow’s to share their experiences with all of us. The following articles are an expression of the best of us in
our continual efforts to improve education for everyone. CSUP thanks all who share their personal experiences for
that reason. The guiding questions accompany each group’s responses.
In the next issue of Partnership, we will introduce the remaining TOSA’s and Graduate Teaching Fellows.
Le Sueur-Henderson
April Rosendale
My name is April Rosendale, and I am
originally from Wampum, PA. I’m experiencing
my 17th year in education, and my fourth year
as a Teacher-on-Special-Assignment. So many
things go through my mind as I think about the
things I have experienced in these years…where
I have been and what I have learned! From
standing in front of a room full of students who
look to me for wisdom (yikes!!) to presenting professional
development sessions to teachers in MN and in the Middle
East, the experiences have been incredible.
Having dedicated most of my classroom teaching
time to the kindergarten kingdom, I can attest that there is
nothing that compares to the unbridled wonder of a five
year old who asks, “What are we going to learn about
today?” It’s a moment that I want to capture, and nurture
and revisit each year until it can be returned to him / her
Jayne Gehrke
I started teaching back in the 70’s. It was
a small school, and the staff was a great group
of people who worked very well together. New
teachers that year made up about 1/4 of the
staff. I remember an English teacher took me
aside and shared how important it was that
we all work together. Not just the teachers.
Part I
? ?
Please share any relevant advice and/or wisdom you have acquired
over the years that would be helpful to teachers new to the profession.
in a college degree someday…evidence of
Mastering the Art of Curiosity! Learning is lifelong,
and I’ve been able to see that progression all
around me, in my students, in my colleagues, and
in the newest cohort of teachers just entering the
profession.
I often think back to my early experiences in
education, and the teachers I had. I immediately
recall those who noticed me and those who
inspired me. What a gift to be noticed, amidst
the many tasks, schedules, and connections that fill a
teacher’s school day. And what an impactful thing to
be inspired, in a setting that can be immersed in rules,
routines, and regiments. I hope that I can be one who will
strive to notice, and one who might often inspire…at least
on my best days!
I would like to thank all (past and present) who are
inspiring my path in education. The experience is beyond
amazing.
She emphasized that you need the cooks,
janitors, secretaries, and bus drivers, as well
as the administrators, on your team as well.
With a strength of Harmony, I took that to heart
and have always cultivated a good working
relationship with everyone. The kids are the
reason we are in teaching, but we all need
to work together to achieve success. No one
person is more important than another. I believe
22 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

if a student can make one strong connection with someone in the
school, even if it is the janitor or the cook, they are more likely to
be successful.
We all need to laugh more. I believe that a sense of humor
is essential to be a teacher. You need to have some fun with the
kids. Yes, I know there are those who say, I am not paid to have
fun with the kids, or I am not paid to entertain. But kids respond
to humor, they like it when the teacher is smiling and appears to
enjoy what they are doing. They know if you like your job or not.
Humor can diffuse situations that might otherwise escalate into
Mankato
Kay Green
Effective, successful teachers believe that every
student has the ability to learn. It is the strategies we utilize
within our curricula, combined with our understanding
of pedagogy, and the talent we possess in the “art of
teaching” that provides us the ability to move each student
along their personal continuum of learning.
Some of the ideals and practices that I use to assist
me in assuring both academic growth and personal
confidence in students are as follows:
• Read the face of your students.
• Regularly revisit the effectiveness of your listening skills.
• Be consistent, do not say it if you are not willing to follow
through with it.
• Call parents for positive reasons.
• Study your curriculum lesson and move away from the manual.
• Share a part of your true person with your students.
• Admit to learning with the students and not always being
correct.
• Keep true to the fidelity of your district’s curriculum…put your
personality into the presentation of it.
• When frustrated or aggravated, think outside the box.
Laura Linde
Effective educators believe what is heard, observed,
and experienced firsthand versus adopting and acting on
the thoughts, opinions, and perspectives of others. Acting
on assumptions closes the mind that independent thinking
can open.
Be reflective in your practice. Reflect on lessons
taught, experiences that are provided, and interactions
and responses during and throughout the day. Genuine
and candid reflection is the key to effectively improved teaching and
practice.
Focus on life’s design with relevant, creative, and purposeful
learning so students know and understand that education and
learning are a continuous journey.
Be a leader. Volunteer to help out and share the load if you note
others having a high volume of challenges. If you help design the rules
and policies, set the example to model and follow the team decision.
Admit mistakes, learn from them, and move on.
Teach students where to find information and resources and
how to evaluate information resources so they become autonomous
learners and effective decision makers.
Build in the element of surprise whenever possible. This keeps
students interested and adds an element of joyful learning to
Winter 2012 Partnership
problems. Having fun does not mean that you do not take your
job as a teacher very seriously.
We never stop learning new things. If you believe that when
you graduate from college you know everything you need to know
for a career in teaching, you are wrong. Every year I have taught
I have challenged myself to learn new things, take a class, teach
a new way, read a book, ask a question, or absolutely jump into
a new initiative. It has never been truer than it is today, kids are
changing, and we need to change with them. Learn something
new today, and have fun doing it.
• Walk away from judgmental, gossipy, unproductive
conversations with colleagues.
• Change something you have done in the past.
• Communicate, communicate, and communicate.
• Read the body language of your students.
• Work hard, be dedicated, be confident and then be
proud.
• Make clear expectations a part of every lesson,
procedure, and action.
• At all age levels, set the expectation bar high for your
students, it is natural for them to reach for it.
• Ask questions of the students, the educational process,
and of yourself.
• Work ahead, be over prepared, and make a list.
• Accept that the need to be flexible is a constant.
• Play with your class.
• Do not tolerate harassment in any degree.
• Celebrate the success of each student’s personal best.
• And again, read the face of your students and adjust.
On these ideals I base my personal framework for effective
teaching and use as the foundation for my philosophy of educating
students.
everyone’s day.
Strive for professionalism that focuses on what is
best for many versus a select few and err on the side of
inclusion versus exclusion in all that you do.
When planning lessons, clearly state the purpose
of the lesson and share that purpose with the students.
Create examples of purpose that utilize humor, story
telling or real life events to which students can relate.
Use formative and summative assessment as an
indicator of what students know and are able to do. Use
assessment for learning and of learning in your planning.
Place the assessment in the forefront of your planning. This will help
you to identify and clarify where you are headed with your objectives
and outcomes. Like headlights on a vehicle, it will help guide the
learning journey.
Celebrate the students’ successes and your successes.
Celebrations are motivational to students and inspire students to want
to do better. Be inspirational in what you say and do!
Teach students that both independence and interdependence are
critical in an ever-changing world. We all have a shared responsibility
to use strengths and talents to the best of our ability. The element of
reciprocity exists within each one of us. As we teach, guide, and
facilitate, we learn from others as much as others learn from us.
23

Waseca
Lisa Zika
When I graduated from college three decades ago,
some advice an educational advisor gave me was this-
“Don’t smile until Christmas”. It sounded so negative at the
time, and I ignored that bit of wisdom. However, after my first
year teaching, I knew exactly what he was trying to tell me.
In year two, I spent the month of September teaching routines
and procedures in my 5th grade classroom. They didn’t know
what I expected in my classroom until I taught them. After
the procedures and routines were learned, I could ease up a bit, the
students could have lots of fun learning, and the classroom operated as
a high functioning learning environment. I am pretty sure I smiled before
Susan Topp
It could be said that education is one of our most
valuable resources. That is a belief that I embrace. It can
open the door to limitless possibilities, opportunities, and
experiences throughout our lives. I am passionate about
learning and view myself as a life-long learner.
As an educator, I strive to instill this value of life-long
learning in my students. I believe that all students can learn
and those that continue to try will never be failures. As a
Spanish classroom teacher this was posted prominently in the room:
“El que sigue tratando nunca será un fracaso” Thus, my philosophy
includes, putting forth your best effort and not being afraid to admit
that you don’t know something. I believe in establishing an environment
where questioning is valued and the only “dumb” question is the
Faribault
Pam Kennedy
I’ve been at this job, teaching, for a long time. I began
before standards, before state and national accountability,
before copiers, before OBE, AYP, MAP, and NWEA, before
classroom phones, cell phones, computers, and the internet,
before google, facebook, twitter, blogs and video games.
Yes, for that long I’ve been at it. I’ve taught in rural, urban,
and suburban Minnesota. I’ve taught regular ed, mainstream,
special ed, preschool, kindergarten, primary, intermediate,
middle school and college. I started in the 70’s, survived the 80’s, rejuvenated
in the 90’s, was shocked by the 00’s, and am reflecting in the 10’s.
In retrospect, I have to admit, the heart of teaching is still the same.
Building relationships with students, their families, colleagues, administration,
paras, kitchen, custodial and office staff is still the basis of the work. Love
your content, love learning, hold high expectations of yourself and your
students and believe that you can make a difference. Honor and respect the
responsibility and power that your influence, as a teacher, can make on every
student.
That’s what all the people I have been lucky enough to work alongside
have taught me. I have chosen to surround myself with professionals who are
positive and value this most important career. I continue to seek experiences
that force me to learn and improve. It is a ‘calling’ that requires continual
growth; you are never done.
Lastly, I do believe, for the most part, that ‘All I Really Need to Know I
Christmas. Maybe Thanksgiving?
After 33 years of teaching, I think another important
part in getting students to succeed in my classroom was in
building a strong relationship with each and every one of
them. A solid rapport academically, personally, and socially
needs to be established. When that happens, students will
work hard for themselves and for the teacher. Building this
rapport can be started by finding out an interest of each
student. In attending one of their athletic events, plays, or
concerts, this appearance lets students know that the teacher
is interested in them as a person. This relationship cannot be built on
sarcasm or by raising voices in the classroom. It is built by showing
respect for everyone and being firm, fair, and caring.
question not asked. Furthermore, for students and educators
alike, it is okay to admit you don’t know something, but that
you can and will find out the answer.
While modeling and promoting the value of education,
teachers must be consistent and fair in the enforcement
of rules and procedures in order to help establish an
environment where students can learn. This includes not only
learning to follow directions, but learning to respect, accept,
and embrace each other’s unique qualities. This appreciation
of individual characteristics will require teachers to be willing
to regularly monitor and adjust lessons to meet their students’ individual
needs and help provide a learning environment that values everyone.
The diversity that makes up our world today is part of what makes life
so fascinating and special and strong educational background can
help us to see that.
Learned in Kindergarten’ as Robert Fulghum wrote in 1985 is
the best advice:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life-learn some and think some and draw and paint
and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands,
and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really
knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the
Styrofoam cup-they all die.
So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you
learned-the biggest word of all-
LOOK.
24 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

Teaching Fellows
? ?
Describe your philosophy of education and/or teaching.
What do you believe is important in being an effective educator?
Le Sueur-Henderson
Karissa Kramer
My name is Karissa Kramer, and I am originally from
Sleepy Eye, MN. I am now a couple months into my first year
of being a real teacher! So many thoughts have run through
my mind when I think of describing my experience. I can’t
even count how many times I have thought to myself “Wow!
I am actually the one responsible for these students and their
education!” It is a great feeling and it really makes all those college
courses and hours of clinical experiences and student teaching
worthwhile.
Seeing my 1st Grade students reading on their own, or
discovering a new strategy to use when solving a subtraction
problem is so much fun. Not only have I helped my students learn so
many things so far this school year, but the students have also taught
Mike Sindahl
My name is Mike Sindahl and I am a first year business
teacher at Le Sueur-Henderson Middle and High School. Last
May I was informed about Teaching Fellow positions available
through Minnesota State University, Mankato. I fortunately
have the opportunity to be a part of this Teaching Fellowship
Program this year. As a new teacher I have MUCH to learn,
but thankfully I have a great support system here at Le Sueur-
Henderson to help me. Two years ago my teaching philosophy
involved student motivation, which would engage learning. Although
I still believe that inspiring students is an important part of our duties
as educators, it is a means to an end. So far this year my goal
has been to provide every student with the opportunity to excel in
Winter 2012 Partnership
me so much. Seeing the unique abilities and needs of each
individual student is a reminder each day to teach to each
student individually and not just to a group of children.
I often think back to my education starting back when
I was a four-year-old going to pre-school for the first time. I
can definitely remember all the teachers I had, whether they
were my favorite or not. The ones I have the best memories
of are those who always put their students’ education first and made
learning fun as well as challenging. I strive to be that kind of teacher
and my goal is to be one of those teachers my students look back on
in the future and say I had a positive impact on their lives.
I would like to thank everyone who has influenced my journey
in education up through this remarkable first year. The experience is
beyond amazing.
my content through providing differentiated instruction and
assessments. All students do not see the relevance of the
content I teach, but through differentiating my instruction I can
provide the opportunity for each student to excel.
At this point in my career I cannot provide any further
details to my teaching philosophy because I am learning new
things about teaching daily. Student behavior, differentiation
techniques, educational technology, and daily life in a school
building are just a few of the overwhelming number of lessons I have
been learning and will continue to learn in my career. Even though
I cannot provide a full teaching philosophy I can provide a learning
philosophy. In any career, especially teaching, one can never stop
learning.
Returning TOSA’s with
new Graduate Teaching
Fellow, Aug 2011
Kelly Rand, Waseca
Fellow
Lisa Zika, Waseca TOSA
Kirsten Hutchinson,
Faribault TOSA
Sue Topp, Waseca
TOSA
25

Sibley East
Kiley Theede
Hello! My name is Kiley Theede. I am originally from
Lewiston, a small town in southeast Minnesota. My love of
working with children was instilled early in my life. Along
with my mom’s daycare, working at schools, volunteering,
babysitting, etc my family has been graced with six beautiful
little ones. My nieces and nephews have been my fuel. I
want them to have a great education and be all they can be with the
help of great educators.
This love has grown to many other little ones throughout
my recent years. I strive to help children be all they can be. My
philosophy is to take students where they are and help them climb/
become better as a whole person. All students are different and learn
different, so the challenge is to get them to their peak. Also teaching
Waseca
Kelly Rands
1st grade, Hartley Elementary School, Waseca, MN
Enthusiasm creates chance for all students to achieve in
the classroom. Each day is a new day and each new day
is different. No matter what it is I am teaching, I teach it with
excitement and let the students explore and question. If the
students see me excited about what I am teaching and sharing
with them, then their willingness and desire to learn is outstanding.
Students who ask questions are interested in what is being presented and
explored. I ask questions right back to them to see if they can answer
their own questions. The feeling of answering an unknown question for
students gives them confidence. Confidence then turns into enthusiasm.
Mankato
Amber Leonhardi
The school year has blasted off and it has been busy
getting ready for the take-off. My crew is now on board, and
we work together everyday so we may have a successful
mission!
As the school year has begun, building classroom
community and matching individual learning needs is the
focus of my mission as a new teacher. One of our first reading
units has the theme of “We are Special,” which has led perfectly
into building our classroom community and accepting each other’s
values, beliefs, and unique characteristics. The emphasis on selfworth
is crucial to building classroom community; therefore, it has
been a goal of mine to make sure every child is a valued person
in our classroom. In addition to accepting one another’s unique
characteristics, I have emphasized the importance of learning and
accepting other cultural beliefs and rituals. Once a week, in my
classroom, we “investigate the world” by visiting another country.
We learn a small piece of information regarding something special
related to the country being studied. For example, we have learned
how to count to ten in Swahili and how to say hello and good
morning in the Somali language. This cultural awareness has been
the whole child isn’t just about reading or math, it’s teaching
respect, responsibility, academics, and the list goes on.
Helping each child grow in all parts of their day is indeed
quite a job! To get my classroom ready, I have started with a
reading corner. I’ve added many leveled readers and books
as individual as them. Next is the area for their desks. Finally,
the carpet area is by the smart board where we do most of
our learning. The math corner includes manipulatives, a calendar,
and many hands on games. Curriculum is what has helped me set up
my classroom, but the students and fun is what drives it. This first year
of teaching will truly have its challenges, but it’s great to finally jump
into teaching and use all I’ve learned! It has been a great start to a
wonderful career; thank you Minnesota State University, Mankato and
Sibley East Public Schools for this once in a lifetime opportunity!
Respect is also a key tool to any student’s success. Each day
I talk to my students in a respectful manner. I do not want to be
the “boss” in my classroom. I want to be a guide and a comfort.
Students who come to school and want to tell me everything let
me know that I am doing my job. They know that I truly care.
We can also be goofy in the classroom and if I need them to
turn off the silly, it is a simple 3-2-1 and they know exactly what
is expected. The respect I give to them comes back by the respect that
they show me every day. I believe that you have to give respect to
receive it.
Having my own classroom is more wonderful than I ever imagined
it to be. I am truly in the greatest profession.
embraced by the students, and it is exciting when a student
raises her hand in math, during our money unit, to share her
knowledge of Canada and to inform us that the coins in
Canada are called loonies and twoonies, which is different
from the pennies and nickels that we are currently studying.
While each of my students has unique personalities, each of
them also has unique learning needs. Some people may call
me the project lady because I feel as though I have several projects
completed, in the works, or still outlined only in my mind. Because I
believe that all students deserve equal opportunity to learn the material,
these projects are being created to provide the necessary hands-on
intervention and practice for individual students and the class as a
whole. Furthermore, because students vary in the amount of time it
requires to understand or complete a learning task, some finish early
and then ask, “Now what?!” In my classroom, the students have a list
of activities on the board they can engage in, as well as challenge
tasks and take-it-to-your seat learning folders. Ongoing learning and
practice is the focus of student learning and mastery!
While our mission has only begun, it is a group effort and will
be well-worth the energy and time. Not only do we want to reach
the stars, but we also want to reach the moon!
26 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

Jenna Haala
Graduate Program: Master of Science in Elementary and
Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in literacy
I am from New Ulm, Minnesota. My student teaching
was a unique blend of experiences in Guadalajara, Mexico
and LeSueur, Minnesota through Minnesota State University,
Mankato. Besides my major in elementary education, I have
a minor in psychology and a specialty in communication, arts, and
literature.
My goal as a teaching Fellow is to prove to students just how
valuable education is. It is important for my students to know that
Laura Januschka
Before my first day at Mankato West High School, I
knew I wanted to make my English class enjoyable for my
students. I believe building positive relationships and a sense
of community within the classroom are key aspects to teaching.
On their first day, to help foster positive energy, I decided
to play music as my students entered the room. Since then I
have played music each and every day. My musical selection varies.
Sometimes I play songs that relate to our lesson, but I mostly choose
upbeat songs. When it is a student’s birthday I put on a YouTube
“birthday mix” video. It is entertaining to see my students come in and
try to sleuth out whose special day it is. I believe the music has been a
success. I enjoy greeting them at the door and seeing their smiles, or
hearing them say, “I love this song!” as they enter the room.
Leaving my students with positive thoughts is just as important as
an inviting welcome. Therefore as my students are leaving, I make
Heather Jopp
My name is Heather Jopp, and I graduated from
Gustavus Adolphus College in the spring of 2011. I was
so excited to be offered a position at Franklin Elementary
School in Mankato, which I eagerly accepted. I’ve spent
the last couple of weeks preparing my classroom for the 4th
graders that will be arriving soon! It was very easy to get
my classroom ready because I didn’t have a lot of things to put up.
However, many teachers were willing to give me some posters or
bulletin board supplies to hang up, which I was very thankful for.
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher because I love working
with kids, and I love being in school. No matter what school I enter
I always feel comfortable and welcome, and I knew I wanted to
be a part of this community. As a teacher, I think it is important to
adapt your teaching style to your students’ learning styles. Each
child learns in their own way, and though it may be difficult at times,
Winter 2012 Partnership
what they are learning now, they will use for the rest of their
lives. I am working hard to give students extra encouragement
when they are struggling and confidence when they are
being challenged.
I am learning just as much as my students this year. Working
with my mentor and other Fellows has allowed me to
understand my teaching style better, gather new ideas, and
brainstorm solutions to new challenges. Along with teaching, I am able
to further my education, which has always been a personal goal of
mine. The school year has been filled with many “firsts” and I cannot
wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for me!
sure to tell them to have a nice day and make good choices.
I first learned about this powerful phrase during an undergrad
field experience at Minnesota State University, Mankato. I
was placed in Mr. Buttell’s middle school class. When I heard
him use the phrase I immediately loved the power it held.
He told me the saying might not sound like much, but you
never know the impact it could have on a student. Mr. Buttell’s
insights reminded me of a quote from Henry Brooks Adams who
said, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence
stops.” Both of these men are the reasons why I start and end my
class the way I do. My hope is when a student is faced with a difficult
situation, somewhere in the back of his/her mind; s/he is reminded
to make good choices. That moment, that pause to think, shows the
influence one simple phrase can have. It has been a great beginning
at Mankato West High School. I look forward to the rest of an already
enjoyable year!
teachers need to differentiate or re-teach in an alternate way
to make sure all students are learning and succeeding in the
classroom. If you walked into my classroom you would see
students working in small groups or doing hands-on learning
for I think they learn best when they first are taught how to
do something but then doing it themselves and applying a
concept to real-life.
My goals for this year are to get to know each of my students
and to check in with them each day because I think developing a
trusting, caring relationship with your students will make it a better
year. I also want to make learning fun and go beyond what is in the
curriculum with activities and ways to teach. In addition to this, I want
to include music and books into any subject because I think they are
just a fun addition that will keep students interested and involved.
Overall, I hope to grow as a teacher in my first year of teaching and
find what works for me and what doesn’t.
Graduate Teaching
Fellows at Recognition
Dinner, Aug 2011
27

Innovative Ideas
Push Partnerships to
The College of Education Assessment and Research team plays an important role in the sustainability
of a strong PDS partnership with local school districts. By seeking out relevant partnerships and innovating
agile research systems, the team hopes to support the wide range of collaborations in place and build the
capacity to understand the quality of their designs and outcomes.
Meanwhile, data continues to arrive for analysis through a variety of assessment tools recently put
into place. This fall, the full Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) will provide initial results on the
effectiveness of the assessment and our teacher candidates. That data will complement the results from
final versions of the Entrance, Exit, and Transition surveys administered to Minnesota State University,
Mankato, education students. Employer surveys will be ready by the end of this school year.
Our deep PDS network allows the College of Education an unique opportunity to locate the impact of
our preparation program on our candidates as well as the teachers they work with and the students they
all strive to reach.
New Partnership
Daria Paul-Dona, Coordinator of Assessment and
Research, and other NExT Area Leads hosted new partners
from the Minnesota Modeling and Simulation Center in
September in response to a need for employing research in
real classrooms. The Center assists by developing models
to increase the predictive ability of certain data variables
gathered by us and partner Universities in the NExT project.
In particular, the Minnesota State Mankato team
hopes to understand the changing needs of the education
workforce in southern Minnesota. These predictive measures
can help our teacher preparation effectively respond
New Levels
to expected fluctuations in the supply and demand
within PDS districts. Minnesota State Mankato can then
make smarter decisions in efforts to accurately recruit
teacher candidates that successfully impact our student’s
achievement amidst economic changes.
Dr. Paul-Dona explains another strength in the
new partnership, “It challenges us on our assumptions,
working with researchers outside the field.” For a
field built on reliability and validity, bringing in a
new research partner increases an ability to perceive
cumulative data with fresh eyes.
28
http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/

New Systems for Working Together
This fall, the Assessment and Research team welcomed an
experienced education leader in research systems and higher
education. Bob Hugg, now Educational Research Systems Liaison,
for the College of Education worked closely with faculty across the
University this fall to spearhead development of a common research
system all stakeholders can access. The result will be a “system of
systems” with portals connecting faculty research interests and archives
with education communities’ needs and desires.
The system will hold six separate yet interconnected databases.
The web-based Faculty Research Interests database does just
what it says, it stores information on current faculty interests and
Winter 2012 Partnership
publications. Another
node allows community
partners (PDS K-12 &
research collaborators)
to put in requests for
more information on best
practices and research
methodologies. A third
piece links the previous two
together so that practical
questions can be answered
on both sides of the
common goal.
Bob Hugg
One portal houses archives of faculty research while the
remaining nodes build in related data systems, such as the one storing
all College of Education and Unit data. The Assessment and Research
team expects to use this clarified research connection to yield bigger
research questions as well as identify capabilities for longitudinal
studies in relevant topics.
Hugg defines the current questions driving the development
of MavAIR/Prism as “the quality of teacher preparation in terms
of the needs in the field, enhancing capability to reach out to
partner schools, and the ability to clarify and refine the impact and
application of our preparation program curriculum.
“I like to put it this way, this will allow us to collaborate to
innovate to collaborate,” says Hugg. “And we will have an ability
to take multi-level surveys from our graduates that will help us
clarify and refine, over time, the trends, needs, and impacts of our
students.”
With new partners and new opportunities our Assessment team
comes ever closer to understanding what our students must know
when they enter the field. When they become new teachers, their
colleagues have already helped pave a path toward success in
their practice and, consequently, in their students’ achievement. Their
collaborations, facilitated by the Assessment team and sustained
in the PDS, extend to improve the whole of teaching practice as a
result, a collective engagement that requires solid foundations.
29

Center for School - University Partnerships
Minnesota State University, Mankato
117 Armstrong Hall
Mankato, MN 56001
*210205*
Elementary and Middle school teachers from the Mankato and St. Peter School districts spent the first
week of August learning to relate Statistics and Algebra to create mathematical models to explain real
world phenomena. One aspect of the course was to create a mathematical model to predict how many
rubber bands Barbie would need to use in order to Bungee Jump from the railing on one level of the
Centennial Student Union to the next lower level without hitting her head on the floor. After building
their model, the participants tested their models (as shown in the picture). Funds for this project were
provided by a grant from the federal Improving Teacher Quality Program of the No Child Left Behind
Act administered by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.