A Rewarding Exchange

A culturally responsive approach to teaching is one aspect that gives trained educators a successful edge in all settings, from elementary over secondary classrooms to specialist vocational and corporate train-the-trainer settings. This intercultural competence often can’t simply be picked up on home grounds, but must be actively experienced and explored. An alumni connection opened up a wonderful opportunity for student teachers at the Graceland University School of Education to do just that: with a practicum in Puerto Rico.

Education professors Tanya Coffelt and Michele Dickey-Kotz led the small Graceland delegation to the Palmas del Mar community of Humacao on Puerto Rico’s southeast coast, where they received a warm welcome by their hosts at The Palmas Academy (TPA), a private college preparatory school.

The TPA faculty and students happily opened the doors to their culturally diverse classrooms, and allowed R’Moni Canady-Dunn ’25, Megan Coon ’26, Mya Lozoya ’25, Mylin McDaniel ’25 and Farouk Salako ’25 to fully immerse themselves by observing and co-teaching.

Canady-Dunn found renewed purpose with her K-6 endorsement in a universal language: music. “What really made me grow as an educator was leading music activities with the TPA students. Stepping into a teaching role helped me realize how much I’ve learned, and how naturally it’s starting to come together. I was able to apply what I’ve been studying about classroom management and student engagement, especially through music. Seeing the students respond with excitement and actively participating gave me a huge boost in confidence. It reminded me that I can create meaningful and joyful learning experiences through music, and that I’m on the right path.”

Although the trip took their fledgling educators out of their routine and comfort zones, Coffelt, Dickey-Kotz and Field Placement Coordinator Melissa Newman are very proud of how they established meaningful, bilaterally rewarding relationships in an entirely new environment within only a couple of days: “Each of them proved that they have the capacity to make a difference in this world, far beyond Graceland. No matter what external messages their own future students are subjected to—in their classroom, they will know their value and worth; they will know that they matter.”