School of Education honors 11 Indiana teachers as Armstrong Teacher Educators

Eleven Indiana teachers have been chosen as Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educators at the Indiana University School of Education for the 2017-18 year

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Eleven Indiana teachers have been chosen as Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educators at the Indiana University School of Education for the 2017-18 year. In their roles as Armstrong educators, they will participate in panel discussions, collaborate with faculty on curriculum and invite future teachers to observe them in their classrooms.

The Armstrong Teacher Educator Award program brings some of the most talented teachers from across the state to the School of Education. Nominees to the Armstrong Educators program are submitted by superintendents and principals. They include outstanding teachers and leaders in their schools who also demonstrate a strong potential to work as mentors for pre-service teachers.

Armstrong medal

“We had a record number of applicants this year, making the selection process incredibly difficult. At the same time, reading about the tremendous talent these educators bring to their craft reaffirms my faith in the profession and its potential to make a powerful difference in the lives of our young people throughout the state of Indiana,” said Rob Kunzman, the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Chair in Teacher Education. “We are excited to bring this new group of exemplary teachers to campus next year to work with our students here in the School of Education, and we look forward to seeing the impact the Armstrong Teacher Educators will have on the next generation of teachers.”

The newest Armstrong educators are:

  • Julie Kissinger, Mount Vernon Junior High School, Mount Vernon, sixth grade
  • Christina Lange, Francis Vigo Elementary School, Vincennes, Title 1 lead teacher
  • Jennifer Martin, Benjamin Bosse High School, Evansville, English
  • Jose Mota, Evansville Day School, Evansville, history
  • Jitka Nelson, Logansport Community High School, Logansport, English
  • Seth Ponder, Riley High School, South Bend, engineering
  • Jamie Rainwater, Indian Creek Intermediate School, Trafalgar, third grade
  • Elizabeth Streit, Spring Mill Elementary, Indianapolis, third grade
  • Stacey Tolle, New Castle Middle School, New Castle, seventh grade
  • Dean Westman, Avon High School, Avon, orchestra and band
  • Jackie Williams, Liberty Elementary School, Mishawaka, third and fourth grade

“An important part of the mission of the School of Education is to provide our students with chances to learn from some of the best teachers from around the state, and the Armstrong program remains a vital part of that mission,” School of Education Dean Terry Mason said. “We’re very excited to welcome this group of Armstrong educators to the School of Education family.”

Since 1997, this award has been funded through the generosity of the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Fund and the Cook Group companies.