School of Education

Outstanding teaching honored at School of Education

Annual Celebration of Teaching awards the best instructors for 2013-14

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Indiana University School of Education honored the best in its ranks during the annual “Celebration of Teaching” ceremonies on Monday, April 21. Awards to top teaching faculty, associate instructors, and recognition of general excellence in the School’s teaching ranks marked the evening event. The celebration was also the official unveiling of the latest class of Armstrong Teacher Educators (read more about the new Armstrong Teachers here.)

The most prestigious faculty teaching award of the evening was the Burton Gorman Teaching Award, which went to Mary McMullen, professor of curriculum studies in early childhood education. The Gorman award is named for its benefactor, a longtime IU School of Education faculty member who wanted to recognize creative teaching in the preparation of future teachers. Criteria include creativity, pioneering, and impact of teaching.

“As one of her students put it, she has an unrelenting enthusiasm for teaching but, this student added, also gives freely of her time,” said Gerardo Gonzalez, dean of the IU School of Education, about McMullen. “At the same time, she demonstrates a playfulness in her teaching and mentoring of students, something vital for her philosophy of teaching. She has preached about the importance of play for both young children and adults for some time.”

Gonzalez related the testimony of other students who called McMullen’s influence on their careers “transformative” and cited numerous ways in which she took extraordinary measures to make sure they gained insight into their subject matter. Many students also testified in nominating McMullen about one course in particular that made a big difference to them. “Shades of Play” examined the importance of play for all and challenged the students in the class to make sure they set aside time for their own play.  She emphasized in that course her belief that that the opposite of play is not work—it is depression.  McMullen spoke in her remarks of learning as much from her students as they learn from her.

Other highlights of the ceremony included a keynote presentation from Kristin Poage, language arts teacher at Jackson Creek Middle School in Bloomington, honored with an Outstanding Educator Award from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce in 2011 and School of Education alumna (MS’03 in language education). Poage shared her teacher’s view take on the long-running CBS and National Public Radio series “This I Believe,” presenting her own list. Among her “believes”: 

• “I believe it’s impossible for a teacher to diet with an office next to the faculty lounge
• I believe when the research shows teachers make about 1500 decisions in a day, they lowballed it.
• I believe we teach kindness and honesty through example.
• I believe that teaching is one of the hardest professions on this planet, but it is also the most rewarding.”

Also during the ceremony, Thomas Ulmet from Kappa Delta Pi International education honor society presented a plaque to the Rho Nu Chapter of KDP at the IU School of Education. Olivia Hopf, chapter president accepted on behalf of the chapter, along with chapter treasurer Beth Patton and assistant dean for teacher education Jill Shedd.

The Celebration of Teaching, held each spring, is organized by the Faculty Development Committee of the IU School of Education. Below is the full list of award recipients.

Gorman Award

Mary McMullen Curriculum & Instruction

Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award

Kathy Pomeroy Literacy, Culture & Language Education

Armstrong Teacher Educator Awards

Eric Ambler, East Washington Academy, Muncie

Julie A. Beaty, Stephen Foster Elementary #67, Indianapolis

Peter L. Berg, Decatur Central High School, Indianapolis

Susanne Clark, Avon Middle School North, Avon

Jill H. Kaufman, Ox Bow Elementary, Elkhart

Karen Koelm, Valparaiso High School, Valparaiso

James E. Lang, Floyd Central High school, Floyds Knobs

Jason Schackow, Lakeland High School, LaGrange

Wendy Tamborrino, Binford Elementary School, Bloomington

Outstanding Associate Instructor Awards

Matthew Callison Instructional Systems Technology

R505: Workshop: Computer-Based Teaching Methods

W435: Technology Leadership in K-12

W310: Workshop in Instruction Systems Technology

Jennnifer Duckworth Counseling & Educational Psychology

P314: Life Span Development

Abigail Gundlach Graham Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

H205: Introduction to Educational Thought

Angela Horn Counseling & Educational Psychology

G206: Introduction to Counseling Psychology

Kathleen McCormick Curriculum & Instruction

E352: Teaching and Learning for All Young Children II

E325: Social Studies in the Elementary School

Christy Wessel-Powell Literacy, Culture & Language Education

X460: Books for Reading Instruction

E339: Methods of Teaching Reading and Language Arts: Primary (K-3)

Heidi Torres Curriculum & Instruction

E300: Elementary Education for a Pluralistic Society

E325: Social Studies in the Elementary Schools

M401: Seminar/Field Experience

Sarah Elizabeth Willcox Curriculum & Instruction

M333: Art Experiences for the Elementary Teacher

M200: Artifacts, Museums, and Everyday Life

Trustees Faculty Teaching Awards

Phil Carspecken Counseling & Educational Psychology

Janet Decker Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Kathryn Engebretson Curriculum & Instruction

Lynn Gilman Counseling & Educational Psychology

Frank Di Silvestro Instructional Systems Technology

Dubravka Svetina Counseling & Educational Psychology

Mary Waldron Counseling & Educational Psychology

Student Choice Award

Suzanne Eckes Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

A308: Legal Issues for Teachers

A508: School Law and the Teacher

Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Ellen Lee Vaughan Counseling & Educational Psychology

The Celebration of Teaching is organized by the Faculty Development Committee which consists of the following members:

Andrea Walton (Chair), Joyce Alexander (Ex Officio), Randa Fathy (graduate student representative), Allison Hagenbuckle (staff representative), Lynn Gilman, Mitzi Lewison, Paula Magee, Adam Maltese, Mary Piontek, Hannah Schertz, Dubravka Svetina

Armstrong Teacher Educator Award

The Armstrong Teacher Educator Program was created by a gift from Cook Group Companies to establish the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Fund in Teacher Education. This program is intended to increase involvement among teachers, Indiana University School of Education faculty, and pre-service education students. One aspect of the program allows IUB to identify a small, select group of public school teachers each year from across the state of Indiana who will work with faculty and students in our undergraduate teacher education program. This year's awardees, who come from all parts of the state, have been identified by their colleagues and administrators as being truly outstanding.

Outstanding Associate Instructor Award

These graduate students are living proof that the collective instructional competence of the

School is substantively improved by Al instruction in our undergraduate programs. There is remarkable sophistication, passion, and sustained competence in the teaching process evident in these profiles. The committee is honored to count these teachers as colleagues. Their department affiliations and recent teaching assignments are listed after their names.

Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award

This award is given to outstanding adjunct faculty instructors for 2013-2014. The committee found their accomplishments quite exceptional. The committee commends these recipients for their outstanding accomplishments.

Trustees Faculty Teaching Award

These are our outstanding faculty from 2013-2014. The committee found their accomplishments quite exceptional. The committee commends these colleagues for their outstanding accomplishments.

Student Choice Award

This award is presented by the Deans Advisory Council (DAC), an undergraduate honorary organization committed to the School of Education's mission to provide students with a positive environment and worthwhile learning experiences. The DAC selected the 2013-2014 Student Choice winner from among a long list of outstanding instructors nominated by students.

Graduate Studies Faculty Mentor Award

The recipient of this award is chosen yearly from faculty nominated by graduate students.

Burton Gorman Teaching Award

The Burton Gorman Teaching Award was established by a benefactor alumnus of the School of Education for the purpose of recognizing creative teaching in the preparation of education professionals at Indiana University. Criteria for the award include creativity, pioneering, and Impact of teaching. “Teaching" is broadly construed, so as to include conceptualization, planning, integration of courses, research, instruction in classrooms and/ or other settings, individual work with students, and evaluation.