The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

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June 21, 2009

Andra Bryan Stefanoni: Some teachers become students every summer

By Andra Bryan Stefanoni

Globe columnist

PITTSBURG, Kan. — In a scene likely being replayed this summer on college campuses across the nation, a few hundred of the area’s teachers are choosing to stay in school beyond the final dismissal bell in May.

This defies the age-old misconception that teachers enjoy three months of vacation, says Pam Sells, a faculty member in Pittsburg State University’s College of Education.

“They recognize that there is always something new coming out in education, and they want to be on top of that, to have the most recent training,” Sells said last week after winding up a class of her own.

At PSU, those attending such classes vary from elementary to secondary teachers, new teachers to those who are experienced, and include a few who are seeking teaching certification after having worked in other careers.

Elementary teacher Jamie Newcomb, of Pittsburg, has been taking classes nonstop in the fall, spring and summer since 2001. As a mom, she said it sometimes creates scheduling and workload challenges, but she has stuck with it. After completing the remaining six hours of classes this summer, she will have earned her master’s degree.

Elementary teacher Jalon Smith, of Carthage, Mo., likewise is working on her master’s degree, which she said she will complete next spring.

“I love learning, and teaching is not a stagnant profession,” she said. “You must always reflect and learn.”

And, it doesn’t hurt to move up on the salary schedule, Smith said. Teachers who complete continuing education or are seeking degrees are eligible for increases in salary commensurate with the amount of courses they complete.

Elementary teacher Amber Hulstine, of Carl Junction, Mo., is taking nine hours this summer in hopes of doing just that. But she said she realizes that additional training will, in turn, make her a more effective teacher when it comes to things like classroom management, and instructional planning and delivery.

New high-school teacher Kathy Howerton, of Seneca, Mo., just completed her bachelor of science in secondary education in May. She wanted to immediately begin work on a master’s degree, figuring it would be easier to continue being a student for a few more years rather than make the effort to return to school after having taught for a while.

With two children, a new job and nine hours of classes this summer, she said it will take some juggling, but she believes that a few extra years of classes will pay off in the long run both professional and financially.

At the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush, west of Girard, several hundred teachers are participating in live and online summer workshops with goals of improving their teaching techniques, meeting district requirements for professional development, and networking with other teachers.

“Contrary to what people often think, the majority of teachers really don’t have three months off,” Sells said. “They’re making sure they are effective, and, ultimately, they care about doing the best job possible for their students. If they’re not in a class, they’re gathering ideas or creating bulletin boards or revising curriculum.”

And many of the teachers agree that even if they take a vacation, they think of new ideas from things they’ve seen or places they’ve been, and they seek ways to integrate those new themes into their classrooms.

“They’re always thinking about their classes,” Sells said.

Ryan Bolling, of Pittsburg, who becomes a student every summer, can’t imagine he’ll ever quit taking classes.

“There’s always more to learn,” he said.

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