Three Kearney educators inducted into Academy for Teacher Education Excellence

KEARNEY – Three Kearney educators were recently inducted into the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Academy for Teacher Education Excellence for their work with UNK students entering the education profession.

Inductees represent professionals who work in schools as educators or as faculty members at UNK.

Ed Scantling, associate vice chancellor for academic services and enrollment management, said the 2015 class of inductees is “very strong and representative of the many dedicated educators who commit themselves each year to working with future teachers from UNK.

“We are indebted to them for their long term work with our students,” added Scantling.

This year’s class includes:

Roan Howard, social studies teacher at Horizon Middle School in Kearney

“Roan is an outstanding teacher who is passionate about the profession and about his students. He serves on the School Improvement committee, coaches various sports and advises several after school clubs. He works diligently to develop strong bonds and relationships with his students,” Scantling said.

“Roan regularly accepts student teachers and works closely with them as they immerse themselves into the culture of the school and the profession. He is a great mentor to these new to the profession teachers.”

Chris Jochum, associate professor in the Modern Languages Department at UNK

“Jochum’s passion for teaching and the success of his students is undeniable. He uses a variety of best practices in his classes, and his students benefit from his ability to teach Spanish in a way that is unintimidating and highly effective,” Scantling said.

“Year after year, Dr. Jochum works with future teachers to prepare them to be highly effective in the classroom. Many of his former undergraduate students return to our MAE in Spanish Education program to continue to learn from Dr. Jochum.

“Recently, Dr. Jochum was selected to serve as a Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation site reviewer, and he is one of only a handful of Nebraskans who currently serve as an edTPA scorer.”

Kevin Sullivan, adjunct lecturer in Kinesiology and Sport Science Department and supervisor of student teachers at UNK

“Prior to coming to UNK, Kevin served as a physical educator in the Kearney Public Schools for over 30 years. He has shared his expertise with UNK students and student teachers throughout his career,” Scantling said. “During his time in KPS he regularly took our student teachers under his wing to guide them and provide them with a strong introduction into the world of teaching.

“Since joining the UNK staff he has been outstanding at motivating our student teachers to excel. In addition to working with the students he has also been very effective at communicating where he believes gaps exist in the health and physical education curriculum. Kevin has made a very positive impact on the quality of the teachers that UNK prepares.”

-30-