Alumni Quotes

Kelsey (Combs) Hosie (B.A.) '05 (M.ED) '10
"Building positive relationships with my students brings me joy. It is their needs and diverse experiences that make my job fun, exciting and rewarding. I am thankful for opportunities GU provided me as a pre-service teacher. I credit them for helping me find ways to make learning meaningful and exciting for my students. It was my positive experience as an undergrad that led me to complete a Masters Program in Special Ed. That prepared me to meet the needs of my students."

Lisa Ash (B.A.) '08
"The Gleazer School of Education's emphasis on building caring and compassionate relationships with students is what helped me the most in creating a successful classroom climate." Lisa was one of numerous Graceland graduates who have had the opportunity to student teach in New Zealand. She said she also loved the close contact she was invited to maintain with Graceland faculty and advisors in the School of Education. "I felt I always had someone to motivate me and encourage my passion for building strong learning communities that value the contribution of each student."

Mandy (Williams) Allison (B.A.) '01
"The preparation I received from teachers and coaches at GU led me to a teaching job at North Harrison High School in Eagleville, MO where I taught health and P.E. for grades 7-12." Mandy also coached High School Varsity Basketball, Jr. High Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys Track and Field and served as Athletic Director. She now teaches K-5th grade physical education at E.C. Mason Elementary School in Manvel, TX, where she instills her students with "life lessons learned at GU." In 2008 she received "my greatest achievement to date, being nominated by my peers and named Teacher of the Year."

Quotes from Student Teachers

You all really helped me prepare for the "real world." You instilled knowledge of how a good teacher should think, act, be, and because of you, I had the appropriate foundation to start my career. Thank you for everything. (Lamoni student)


I felt that the teacher education program and the university supervisors were advocates for the students and will stop at nothing to assist every student in the program to become the best teacher they can be. The instructors use a wide variety of strategies in class and give us purposeful and meaningful assignments, also the textbooks we bought were meaningful and useful. Lastly, I felt that the instructors were a reflection of the INTASC standards and they do "practice what they preach" they do collaborate, lead, care and reflect. (Independence student)

I chose the Graceland program because I heard it was thought of highly, and also because I could take classes right here in the town I live in. With working a full-time job and being a single parent, Graceland made it possible for me to better myself and finally accomplish a long-time dream of mine. (Centerville student)

I believe that the mentors/cooperating teachers, supervisors and professors were the best I have ever been in contact with and had the opportunity with which to work. They were highly professional, kind, caring and wanted to see their student teachers grow and learn. (Independence student)

Everything about this year was amazing. The PDS program was a wonderful experience, I wouldn't have done it any differently. Thank you! (Independence student)

I think some of the strengths of this program is that everyone is very caring and helpful and they want you to succeed. You are not just a number. (Trenton student)

I believe that the teacher education program prepared me well for student teaching. I learned many different teaching strategies from the program and learned that classroom management is an essential in the classroom. My professors were wonderful during the two-year program. I could not have asked for more in my professors. My supervisor during student teaching was awesome also. She gave the encouragement and support that I needed. (Independence student)

I feel like the program prepared me well for my career. Every education professor that I had was caring, and seemed to take a genuine interest in my success. They understood that for some people, school work is not as easy as it is for others, and they were accommodating. They understand that there are certain things that make a good teacher, and they can identify those characteristics in a person and do their best to foster those. (Lamoni student)

I am very happy with the program overall, from the very beginning to the very end. There are a lot of people who make this program work and I don't think they are credited enough. I felt comfortable being able to talk to anyone within the program if I had a question and I always got an answer. I don't think I could ask for a better program to learn from and grow as a person and into a professional. (Independence student)

I am glad that I had a very supportive and caring supervisor. I am teaching full time and with all the requirements this program recommended, it was a handful. My supervisor knew my load and was very considerate of my thoughts and feelings. I will recommend this program to anyone, teaching full time or just starting out. They have helpful professionals and include knowledgeable studies that prepare you for the future of teaching. (Lamoni student)

The Teacher Education Program was very caring and supportive. They became not only your teachers but your friends. Most of my teachers provided amazing information that allowed me to be successful in the classroom. My cooperating teacher helped me through the whole student teaching process. She was very reflective and provided both positive and constructive feedback. My supervisor celebrated my accomplishments while supporting me in my struggles. (Lamoni student)

I found this to be a great program for me. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The instructors truly wanted the best for us. They were caring, hard-working, trustworthy and always professional. I know at anytime I could come to them. If I have a question, problem, or just someone to bounce ideas off of, I know I can depend on them to be there. I want to thank them for believing in me. (Independence student)

My success can be credited to the fact my supervisor was available, supportive, informative, experienced, and professional. I learned so much through out the program and I think that my experience went amazingly well. The program is well-rounded and organized as well as accommodating to a non-traditional student lifestyle. I am very pleased with the program and would recommend it to anyone pursuing a career in education. (Independence student)