Three Grace College Seniors Awarded For Excellence In Teaching
May 13, 2020 at 7:41 p.m.
By Staff Report-
Alexa Hill, Karyssa Davis and Rebekah Landfair were named Outstanding Prospective Teachers for elementary education, special education and secondary education respectively.
Each school year Grace College School of Education selects one or more students who demonstrate excellence in their role as student teachers. Recipients are awarded a plaque and recognition for their achievements in the classroom for elementary, secondary or special education, according to a news release from Grace College.
Hill, of Huntington, taught first grade at Eisenhower Elementary School. Davis, of from LaGrange, taught special education at West Noble Elementary School. Landfair, of Troy, Ohio, taught English at Lakeview Middle School and Warsaw Community High School.
“These ladies exemplify the excellence, both in and out of the classroom, of Grace College graduates,” said Dr. Laurie Owen, dean of the School of Education at Grace College. “We are very proud of the effort that they put into their student teaching and education.”
Landfair and Hill grew up with moms in the teaching profession. They both knew at a young age that they wanted to be teachers. And their dreams were solidified thanks to their own teachers who gave them a chance to lead in the classroom, according to the release.
For Landfair, it was her choir director.
“In high school, my choir director, Mrs. Marcum, selected me as her teacher assistant for the junior high choir. That experience confirmed my calling to serve and love students as a teacher,” said Landfair.
Hill was profoundly impacted by her second-grade teacher, Mrs. Gehrke, at Northwest Elementary in Huntington, for whom Hill became a cadet teacher this past year. Hill explained that it was these classroom experiences at Grace that were the most beneficial as a teacher-in-training.
“In Grace’s School of Education, you do not merely sit back in a chair and listen to lectures about theoretical situations that may occur in the classroom. You are actively engaged in class, and you get the opportunity to practice what you’re learning in the schools right away,” said Hill.
Davis agreed. When asked about her student teaching experience, she explained, “The relationships I formed with the kids and the trust I established with them was definitely the highlight of my student teaching experience. I miss those kids so much!” Davis hopes to continue developing her skills through graduate school. “I want to continue learning how to best serve my students,” she said.
Landfair and Hill will both return to Warsaw to teach this fall.
“I am excited to give back to the community that has given so much to me throughout my four years at Grace College,” said Hill.
Landfair, who will return to Lakeview Middle School where she student taught, said, “I am so excited to teach at a school I love and with a staff that I cherish. I look forward to learning, loving and laughing lots this fall.”
The School of Education at Grace College teaches students professionalism, classroom instruction, planning and management. Students also have opportunities for applied learning, P-12 classroom teaching and service projects in the community. Graduates are equipped with the skills, information and temperament to become effective educators.
The Grace College School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and is approved by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Indiana Department of Education. For more information about the School of Education, call 574-372-5100, ext. 6144.
Alexa Hill, Karyssa Davis and Rebekah Landfair were named Outstanding Prospective Teachers for elementary education, special education and secondary education respectively.
Each school year Grace College School of Education selects one or more students who demonstrate excellence in their role as student teachers. Recipients are awarded a plaque and recognition for their achievements in the classroom for elementary, secondary or special education, according to a news release from Grace College.
Hill, of Huntington, taught first grade at Eisenhower Elementary School. Davis, of from LaGrange, taught special education at West Noble Elementary School. Landfair, of Troy, Ohio, taught English at Lakeview Middle School and Warsaw Community High School.
“These ladies exemplify the excellence, both in and out of the classroom, of Grace College graduates,” said Dr. Laurie Owen, dean of the School of Education at Grace College. “We are very proud of the effort that they put into their student teaching and education.”
Landfair and Hill grew up with moms in the teaching profession. They both knew at a young age that they wanted to be teachers. And their dreams were solidified thanks to their own teachers who gave them a chance to lead in the classroom, according to the release.
For Landfair, it was her choir director.
“In high school, my choir director, Mrs. Marcum, selected me as her teacher assistant for the junior high choir. That experience confirmed my calling to serve and love students as a teacher,” said Landfair.
Hill was profoundly impacted by her second-grade teacher, Mrs. Gehrke, at Northwest Elementary in Huntington, for whom Hill became a cadet teacher this past year. Hill explained that it was these classroom experiences at Grace that were the most beneficial as a teacher-in-training.
“In Grace’s School of Education, you do not merely sit back in a chair and listen to lectures about theoretical situations that may occur in the classroom. You are actively engaged in class, and you get the opportunity to practice what you’re learning in the schools right away,” said Hill.
Davis agreed. When asked about her student teaching experience, she explained, “The relationships I formed with the kids and the trust I established with them was definitely the highlight of my student teaching experience. I miss those kids so much!” Davis hopes to continue developing her skills through graduate school. “I want to continue learning how to best serve my students,” she said.
Landfair and Hill will both return to Warsaw to teach this fall.
“I am excited to give back to the community that has given so much to me throughout my four years at Grace College,” said Hill.
Landfair, who will return to Lakeview Middle School where she student taught, said, “I am so excited to teach at a school I love and with a staff that I cherish. I look forward to learning, loving and laughing lots this fall.”
The School of Education at Grace College teaches students professionalism, classroom instruction, planning and management. Students also have opportunities for applied learning, P-12 classroom teaching and service projects in the community. Graduates are equipped with the skills, information and temperament to become effective educators.
The Grace College School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and is approved by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Indiana Department of Education. For more information about the School of Education, call 574-372-5100, ext. 6144.
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