You probably remember a teacher who went above and beyond. Someone who encouraged you, showed you new possibilities, or created a fun place for you to learn. Believe it or not, that teacher was once taking the reins of a classroom for the very first time. This spring, many UNCG student teachers are taking that first step themselves. Soon, they’ll be a life-changing teacher for the next generation.
Parents, each with a Bluetooth device in their ears, sit in a play-based early intervention therapy session with their autistic child. As they interact through a series of exercises, they receive instruction, feedback and encouragement audibly through their earbuds. The voice talking to them is a community-based early intervention professional trained by a team of coaches led by Heather Coleman, UNC Greensboro Assistant Professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services. The goal: support early intervention therapists, who work with families of autistic children to help them better understand and communicate with each other.
The Smiley Award supports global educational opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in UNC Greensboro’s School of Education and is presented annually. One of last year’s recipients, Dauria Harrison, was able to spend part of her summer on an immersive and service-learning program in Costa Rica.
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has announced that Dr. Julie Bost, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services, has been named 2024 CEC President-Elect. Bost will assume the presidency on January 1, 2025, overseeing CEC’s committees and Board of Directors and providing critical leadership on the organization’s planning and programs.
If you see a flight attendant using sign language to communicate with passengers aboard Piedmont Airlines, it’s likely UNCG alum Elice Evans ’18, who received her bachelor’s degree in Interpreting, Deaf Education and Advocacy Services (IDEAS).
A Special Education major, Calli Kessinger has been selected as the 2023 UNCG Student Teacher of the Year and will represent UNC Greensboro at the upcoming state competition sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NCACTE).
The Smiley Award, which supports global educational opportunities for current School of Education undergraduate and graduate students, has been presented to undergraduate student Dauria Harrison and graduate student Kevin Hogan. These students will represent the SOE as Global Education Ambassadors through international or local engagement.
Undergraduate students in the UNC Greensboro School of Education can now take advantage of new support services thanks to the launch of the SOE Academic Support Hub. The center is the combined work of the SOE Office of Student Success, Michel Family Teaching Resources Center, Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education, Department of Specialized Education Services, and Department of Library and Information Science.
UNC Greensboro has been recognized as one of the best schools for online learning at the master’s level by OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD). UNCG’s early childhood education programs earned top-five honors for overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success.
Subtlety, humor, empathy, and accuracy are often difficult to convey when interpreting from one language to another. Juliette Vayer will tell you that these key skills in American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting, along with advocating for the Deaf community, are part of what compelled her to earn her Bachelor of Science in Interpreting, Deaf Education, and Advocacy (IDEAS) from the School of Education this December.