VACTE has a long and distinguished history of supporting students, faculty, and partnerships between Virginia public schools and Virginia colleges and universities.
Katherine Vander Vennet
ESL teacher and Initial Licensure Scholarship recipient. Read more about Katherine’s story.
Aretha Livingston ,Regent University
MED Reading Specialist
Future Plans
“My next steps are to complete my M.Ed. with a Reading Specialist certification from Regent University. I am almost at the end. I am super excited to become a Reading Specialist and start sharing all that I have been learning. I just want to impact lives and do what is best for kids. I want teachers to know that they matter too and that teaching reading can be fun. I think further down the road, I would like to teach on a collegiate level and impact new teachers as they embark on this wonderful profession that we call TEACHING.”
Brigette Parker, Sweet Briar College
The purpose of Brigette’s study is to analyze the teacher’s usages of the SIOP model to foster student development in Spanish language acquisition. The objectives of the study are to explore student level of engagement based on the number of instructional supports, to understand the effects of various instructional supports, to analyze the effects of sheltered instruction on student learning, to create strong connections with the Spanish language through the use of instructional supports, to evaluate the teacher’s usage of scaffolding in Spanish language classrooms, as well as, to impact the student development in Spanish language acquisition.
Lydia Donihe, Hollins University
MAT Secondary Education: English
Future Plans
“I am honored to have been selected for the VACTE Initial Licensure Scholarship. During my preparation at Hollins University, I was privileged to work with incredibly inspiring professors and equally motivating peers who all helped me discover a true passion for working with students. As of yesterday (May 19, 2021), I am a very proud graduate of the Hollins University M.A.T. program! I am excited to report that, in the fall, I will be teaching eighth grade writing and English at Lucy Addison Middle School, in Roanoke, VA.”
Hannah Croyle , Christopher Newport University
MAT Elementary Education
Future Plans
“I am so excited for my future in education and am very appreciative of the generosity of this scholarship for assisting me in fulfilling that dream! I have accepted a kindergarten teaching position at a brand‐new elementary school and am so excited to teach this fall! I am looking forward to a promising first year in the classroom and plan on continuing my research articles on teacher efficacy outside the classroom.”
Glynnis Farleigh , University of Mary Washington
MED Secondary Education: History and Social Sciences
Future Plans
“I am excited to begin my teaching career in the 2021‐2022 school year as a middle school social studies teacher with Virginia Beach City Public Schools. I look forward to making my classroom a space where students can explore and engage with the rich social studies curriculum while discovering themselves and the world around them. Preparing me for this journey has been the completion of my full‐time student teaching assignment at a middle school in Stafford County, at which I presently serve as a daily substitute teacher. I am elated to have received the VACTE Initial Licensure Scholarship and would like to thank my professors and peers with UMW’s College of Education, as well as my friends and family, for their support.”
Dr. Anna Baynum, Hollins University
Student Nominator: Lydia Donihe
Lydia’s Comment:
“It is difficult to choose just one faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on my education and preparation. Every member of the Hollins University Education department, including Ms. Donna Martin, Dr. Terri Wagner, Dr. Rebecca Cox, and Dr. Anna Baynum, has contributed significantly to my experience. I have found each member of the department to be supportive of all students and genuinely invested in the success of each one of us. Dr. Anna Baynum, though, has had an especially notable influence on my preparation and my perspective of teaching.
Dr. Baynum recognizes the distinctive qualities of the students in the education program and celebrates the individual perspectives and what they bring to the program, modeling for us the experiences we will have with the unique students in our future classrooms. She encourages exploration of personal interests within the discipline and reinforces the importance of relevance and making connections in the learning process. When maintaining a balance between school and life becomes difficult, conversations with Dr. Baynum always focus on strengths and are reminders of what the experiences will enable me to uniquely offer my students. If I send an email to her detailing struggles or questions with an assignment, her response will reframe my frustrations into positive experiences I will carry with me into the classroom.
Dr. Baynum’s email signature is “Peace,” and peace is what she radiates. She is a calming and supportive anchor for students in the Hollins University Education program and a tremendous role model for a classroom teacher.”
Dr. Timothy Pressley , Christopher Newport University
Student Nominator: Hannah Croyle
Hannah’s Comments:
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires” (William Arthur Ward).
The difficult task is to explain the influence Dr. Pressley has had on my educational journey. He advised me during my collegiate career, he encouraged me to take risks and become involved both in classes and research. He challenged me to take independent steps and forge my own path. He valued my input in his research, which empowered me to do more. He expected greatness and knew I could rise to the occasion. I am a natural‐born self‐starter, so his ability to push me to think outside the box inspired me. His willingness to include me in his research projects, his kindness and encouragement, and his wisdom‐filled guidance had an exponential impact on who I am as a teacher today.”
Ms. Kristina Peck, University of Mary Washington
Student Nominator: Glynnis Farleigh
Glynnis’s Comment
“While Mrs. Kristina Peck has only served as the College of Education’s Director of Clinical Experiences for a portion of my time at UMW, I believe that she fully deserves to be honored for her dedication to the students, staff, and faculty of UMW’s COE. Mrs. Peck has been my instructor for both of my Masters seminars during my fifth year. Here, she has demonstrated intense organization, high standards, and high expectations for myself and my peers as preservice teachers. As a former math teacher and Google Educator Instructor, Mrs. Peck held small‐group training sessions for myself and a select group of peers so that we could become Google Educators ourselves. Mrs. Peck has never failed to answer the number of challenging and complex administrative questions that we as students may have and is always supportive to students.
Mrs. Peck demonstrates high standards when modeling the mechanics of teaching ‐ an aspect that is often less discussed as it is less often the subject of intense research, but an aspect that is critical to the smooth, daily functioning of a classroom. This type of daily dedication is critical to the smooth running of a classroom. Mrs. Peck consistently models excellent classroom management, administration, and organization in a way that I hope to mimic in my own classroom and accepts nothing less than the highest standard of performance from us as UMW students. I feel proud to be a graduate of UMW’s Masters of Education program due to Mrs. Peck’s example and support. While I will be beginning my first year as a teacher in my own classroom this August, I will be inspired by Mrs. Peck’s commitment to organization and high standards for years to come.”
Blair Middle School-Old Dominion University Partnership
The goals of the BMS-ODU partnership are varied to reflect the focus on preservice and in-service teacher education inherent to the partnership:
Significantly increase the number of students who will become science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers in Virginia and across the country.
Develop outstanding STEM teachers who will make a positive impact on their students.
Promote mathematics, science, and technology in the community and improve the quality of STEM education in local schools.
Increase the rigor of teacher preparation through embedding courses at a school site.
Recruit, retain, and create high quality, culturally sustaining teachers to meet the needs of our future young leaders in area urban schools.
Recruit and retain teachers of color for our students because representation matters.
The BMS-ODU partnership includes three different initiatives: MonarchTeach, Teacher in Residence (TIR), and site-based instruction of teacher education courses. The MonarchTeach program includes ODU undergraduate mathematics, science, and technology majors who are interested in expanding their professional skills and exploring a career in secondary teaching. Traditionally, TIR participants are substitutes already working in our districts, paraprofessionals, recent math/science undergraduates, mid-career changers, and veterans from the Armed Forces. On-site courses include ODU undergraduate students preparing to teach history, English, theater, art, and dance. Approximately 15 BMS teachers and their students support these initiatives.
Project coordinators include Dr. Kala Burrell-Craft, Director of Teacher in Residence; Ms. Mary Gregory, Lead Supervisor for Clinical Residency Coaches and Lead Master Teacher for MonarchTeach; Dr. Mary Enderson, Co-Director; Dr. Christina Steel, Co-Director; Dr. Patrick Doyle, Principal of Blair Middle School; Dr. Jori S. Beck, School-University Partnership Committee Co-Chair
Criteria coming soon!
Criteria coming soon!
Educator preparation programs seek to ensure candidates at both the initial and advanced level develop a professional habit of inquiry and reflection about teaching and learning. Teaching and practice inform research, and research and inquiry inform teaching and practice.
The Teacher Research Award recognizes candidates who, at any point in their undergraduate or graduate program in education, design and implement research projects addressing key issues in student learning and/or teacher development. The research proposals describe current research and literature regarding the issue and clearly outline the proposed research project. Project proposals are expected to exemplify strong research design and methodology. Awards will be given for research at various stages in the process, with preference given to those projects further into the process of implementation. The recipient of the award must also be willing to work with the faculty mentor to prepare an article defining the research for publication in The Teacher Educators’ Journal, a publication of VACTE.
Who is eligible?
Students enrolled in initial licensure education programs in Virginia and whose proposals are nominated by faculty members in their program.
Students enrolled in graduate programs in education in Virginia and whose proposals are nominated by faculty members in their program.
The Award
The award will include a certificate and a monetary award. Applicants may also receive certificates of recognition without a monetary award.
Award Process
The President of VACTE will appoint a Chair who will convene the Awards Committee. Committee members must be members of VACTE . Applications will be available at the fall VACTE conference, will be posted on the web-site, and will be emailed to all VACTE members by the Executive Director of VACTE . Applications must be submitted online to the Chair or Co-Chairs using this form. Awards will be presented at the spring conference. Deadlines for submissions appear on the applications.
The partnership award supports collaborative projects between schools and universities that promote student learning and well-being and teacher preparation. Proposals should describe how the projects have been collaboratively designed by school and university partners and how, based on research and best-practice, project activities will lead to improving student learning and well-being and to improving teacher preparation. Preference will be given to projects strong in design and further into the process of implementation.
Who is eligible?
School and university faculty and students associated with Virginia teacher preparation programs.
The Award
Each award will include a certificate. The award recipient will be reimbursed for travel to the spring conference.
Award Process
The President of VACTE will appoint a Chair who will convene the Awards Committee. Committee members must be members of VACTE. Applications will be available at the fall VACTE conference, will be posted on the web-site, and will be emailed to all VACTE members by the Executive Director of VACTE. Applications must be submitted online to the Chair or Co-Chairs using this form. Awards will be presented at the spring conference. Deadlines for submissions appear on the applications.
Criteria coming soon!
Contact Lisa Turissini (lisa@turissini.net) or Ellen Rodgers (erodger1@gmu.edu) with questions.