grindym « OSU College of Education

Get to know College of Education Student Ambassador Nathan Ratalsky in this student highlight!

What led you to Oregon State University?

I was drawn to Oregon State University for a few reasons! First, I really liked its education program. Two degrees for a five year plan? Sign me up! The College’s history and beautiful campus was also a big selling point for me right out of high school. And finally, I wanted to stay in Oregon through my college experience. I’ve lived here most of my life and I really enjoy the amazing nature this state has to offer. OSU is nestled between scenic farmlands, old-growth forests, and the beach is only an hour’s drive away. These were all pretty big selling points for me!

What is your major or field of study and why did you choose it?

I’m studying history and secondary education, and pursuing a minor in Spanish. I’ve wanted to teach for as long as I can remember. History, while not always my strongest academic subject, was always interesting to me too. When I came to OSU, I decided that I’d go for a teaching degree, which was always the plan, and that I’d push myself to learn more about history and how to be a historian. Looking back on it now, that was probably not the smartest decision, but I’m glad I made it! It’s been incredibly rewarding to work with the history department here, and now that I’m in my student teaching year, I’m able to apply the skills I’ve learned in my lessons.

If you do research, what kind of research do you do?

I don’t really do any research anymore. My final history class was last year, and since then I’ve been focusing heavily on student teaching. I guess, the research I’m doing right now, if you can call it that, has just been learning how I want to teach in the future and figuring out what kind of teacher I want to be. This isn’t very academic, I know, but I’ve really enjoyed it! It’s extremely satisfying to be able to stand in front of a classroom and use what I’ve learned throughout my college career to achieve my long-held goal of becoming a teacher.

What extracurricular activities do you participate in?

Outside of school, I work as a Peer Tutor/Advisor for the College of Education. I work with students who are preparing for their content area exams, and help new students figure out what path they’d like to take with their studies. Aside from that, I’m a new member of OSU’s Kendo Club!

What do you like to do for fun, in your free time?

In my free time, I like to play music, read, box, and hang out with friends!

What advice would you give to a future College of Education student?

Meet with your advisors at least once a term, for sure. I’ve seen plenty of students ignore meeting with their advisors early on, I was one of them. I got lucky and my schedule ended up working out, but there are many students who don’t take advantage of the help advisors provide and it ends up biting them in the butt later on. College advisors know how to get you through your college career efficiently; they’re there to use that knowledge to help you plan your classes so you can graduate as quickly as possible. Nobody wants to have to pay for a whole extra year of tuition just because they were cocky and scheduled their classes poorly in their freshman or sophomore year! Use the resources you’re paying for!

Across Oregon, many school districts find themselves in short supply of qualified dual language teachers. With almost 20% of students being current or prior English learners, there is a new level of importance being placed on providing opportunities for educators to earn a dual language specialization.

In 2018, a 5 year, $2.5 million grant funded through the Office of English Language Acquisition National Professional Development from the U.S. Department of Education provided funding for over 80 in-service and pre-service teachers to earn their English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) endorsement or Dual Language (DL) specialization.

The success of the program led to a new iteration of the grant, known as TEAMS 2.0. The new round of the program will support 100 teachers to earn their ESOL Endorsement and/or DL Specialization, expand the pool of new dual language teachers in partnered districts, and provide DL-focused professional learning opportunities for their current DL educators.

The award for TEAMS 2.0 is approximately $2.7 million and will run through 2026. Along with ESOL and DL specialization for teachers, the grant will support faculty and doctorate students in conducting related research.

The program courses are all offered through OSU Ecampus, allowing TEAMS 2.0 recipients to complete the coursework remotely and in tandem with their teaching. The courses focus on professional development for licensed educators teaching English learners (EL) and bilingual students.

TEAMS 2.0 expands

This year, three new school district partners will be included in TEAMS 2.0: Portland Public Schools, Woodburn School District, and Hood River School District. The returning partner districts are Beaverton School District, Bend-La Pine School District, Corvallis School District, Greater Albany School District, and Springfield School District.

“By expanding our work to more districts, we will increase the ripple effects that TEAMS has across the state,” said TEAMS Program Coordinator Nelly Patiño-Cabrera and Principal Investigator Karen Thompson. “This work also builds on successful efforts during TEAMS 1.0 to deepen family and community engagement in partner districts.”

Along with new district partners, a priority of TEAMS 2.0 is a focus on literacy among EL students and multilingual families. As part of TEAMS 1.0, each district group partnered with a local organization to co-design and co-implement activities for multilingual families, said the TEAMS 2.0 coordinators.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, TEAMS 1.0 participants in Corvallis collaborated with the Corvallis Public Library to design, assemble, and distribute literacy activity bags to 200 families, including bilingual books, writing materials, and instructions for literacy-focused activities caregivers and children could complete together.”

TEAMS 2.0 aims to build on the work of TEAMS 1.0, prioritizing meaningful collaboration between more than just the teachers and EL students, but their families and communities.

Why TEAMS 2.0?

Over the past six years, OSU has recruited 126 in-service teachers in four cohorts, far exceeding its goal of 80 teachers. As of November 2021, 107 teachers have completed coursework with 97 earning an ESOL endorsement and/or DL specialization.

“We met and exceeded our goal of supporting 80 teachers, and found that 95% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that TEAMS 1.0 was effective in preparing them to serve EL students, and increasing their knowledge and skills related to parent, family, and community engagement,” said TEAMS 2.0 Coordinators.

Prior to entering the program, 25% of participants reported being confident or very confident in using ESOL instructional practices in the classroom; this increased to 92% after completing TEAMS.

Tiffany Day, a first grade teacher at William Walker Elementary in Beaverton, Oregon, was a recipient of the TEAMS 1.0 grant and found that the strategies she learned through the program have helped her better meet the needs of her students.

“I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in the grant program. The knowledge gained was much more beneficial and practical after having taught at a school with a high Emergent Bilingual population and with 10 years of experience using the co-teaching model,” Day said.

Many other TEAMS 1.0 students found that the program helped them better understand issues of equity and social justice and empower them to play a proactive role in their schools.

“Participants said they had built stronger relationships and collaboration with both EL specialists and other classroom teachers, and that the program had a major impact on their ability and motivation to engage with multilingual students’ families and communities,” said TEAMS 2.0 Coordinators. “They had become more adept at building relationships because of their deeper understanding of family and community needs.”

TEAMS 2.0 Coordinators Patiño-Cabrera and Thompson anticipate that the project will have ripple effects on other teachers in schools, through developing design structures in partnering districts, providing stipends for teachers to lead future professional development activities, and a continuation of the College of Education’s partnerships throughout the state.

“Beyond impacts on individuals, TEAMS 2.0 will have important long-term impacts on the College of Education. We are sustaining and establishing new partnerships with school districts around the state and strengthening collaboration with OSU faculty on research projects.”

Beth Rankin is an Assistant Professor at the College of Education, get to know her in this faculty highlight!

What led you to Oregon State University? How long have you worked for the College of Education?

I was excited to join the largest university in the state of Oregon for many reasons. I particularly appreciate the quality hands-on experiences that my teacher candidates are receiving in the Elementary Education Double Degree program.

If you do research, what kind of research do you do? Can you give us the “elevator pitch” of a current or recent project?

In the past, my research has primarily focused on secondary traumatic stress in K-12 educators. That is to say, K-12 teachers “absorb” personal trauma from working with traumatized students. This trauma causes teachers to experience PTSD-like symptoms. My research has shown this is particularly prevalent in female teachers. More recently, my research has focused on the stresses of teacher candidates who are entering their internship experiences during Covid. Regardless of the research project I have embarked on, I feel prioritizing the socioemotional wellness of teachers is critical.

What made you decide to engage in that kind of research/work?

My experiences as a former elementary teacher in a Title I school led me to understand first hand the trauma that teachers develop vicariously as a result of working with traumatized students. I know how devasting this can be for teachers and results in high rates of attrition in K-12. These personal experiences have made studying secondary traumatic stress a priority.

What is your favorite part about your job?

I enjoy helping my students make connections between my course material and their hands-on experiences in their elementary classrooms as teacher candidates.

What do you like to do in your free time, outside of work?

The majority of my time outside of work is spent thinking about, training for, and playing volleyball. Although I’m learning to embrace the outdoor lifestyle of Oregon!

Andrea De Lei is a College of Education student who recently completed her Master of Education (EdM) in the Adult and Higher Education Program. Get to know her in this student feature!

What led you to Oregon State University?

Family, job, school. In 2015, I moved to Corvallis with my family when my spouse took a job at OSU. Shortly after, I started working at OSU in 2018 with Rec Sports. Then in 2020, I decided to pursue my master’s degree at OSU.

What is your major/field of study and why did you choose it?

Master of Education (EdM) in Adult and Higher Education. After attending the AHE informational session to understand this program better, I was very interested in the instructional design components integrated throughout the AHE program. Additionally, I liked that this program was completely online through one of the top online programs, Ecampus. The program fits nicely with my busy lifestyle.

When did you graduate?

June 2022.

What do you like to do for fun, in your free time?

I like to spend time with family and friends. Anything in a fun social setting, really. I play a lot of soccer, indoor and outdoor. I like to play pretty much any sport, golfing, soccer, basketball, ultimate. As well as go on short hikes in the spring/summer.

What advice would you give to a future College of Education student?

Coming from an Ecampus/online learning experience, don’t be nervous about reaching out to your peers or professors for help or clarification. Much great advice I saw, gave or received came from a quick group text/chat/email between my classmates when someone was unsure, wanted feedback, or need inspiration.

Phillip Mitchell is a doctoral candidate in Leadership in Higher Education, offered through the Adult and Higher Education Program. Get to know him in this student feature!

What led you to Oregon State University?

I was looking for a legitimate doctoral program which would allow me to achieve my academic goals while working full time. I was very happy to learn of the program offered by Adult and Higher Education in the College of Education. It is well-respected and offered the opportunities of a local program while being geared for the working professional.

What is your field of study and why did you choose it?

Adult and Higher Education. I chose this program primarily because it provided education in all areas of higher education that are needed for a successful, effective career. I am working in the field but relatively new to it and I wanted to accelerate my understanding so I could make a greater contribution.

What kind of research do you do?

I plan to begin my dissertation research soon. It will be a narrative inquiry into the experiences of a group of medical students. These students are participating in a certain co-curricular program and I want to better understand how their experiences shape their perspectives and their identities.

What extracurricular activities do you participate in?

I work full-time administering a program at a health sciences university. I also had the privilege and pleasure to develop and teach a course in Leadership in Education for the CoEd education minor during the recent Fall term. My wife and I bought a 43-year-old home last summer and are enjoying getting it some needed TLC and renovation.

What do you like to do for fun, in your free time?

I like the performing arts, especially movies and theater. With the pandemic we haven’t done much of that recently. We enjoy state park camping and we go for long weekends several times a season. Also, I own a 1969 Rambler that I am slowly fixing up.

What advice would you give to a future College of Education student?

Enjoy the Journey.

Michelle Maller (right) and Misty de Lei (left) will join OSU Counseling as Program Coordinator and Head Advisor.

OSU Counseling is thrilled to announce and introduce our new Counseling Program Coordinator and Counseling Head Advisor! Michelle Maller and Misty de Lei will start their respective roles as Program Coordinator and Head Advisor starting March 1. Both have extensive experience in supporting students and programs at Oregon State University in prior roles.

Michelle Maller (she/her/hers), Counseling Program Coordinator, holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from OSU and a master’s of science degree in Academic Advising from Kansas State University. Michelle has worked at OSU in the College of Forestry since 2013, first as undergraduate program coordinator and later as internship and education coordinator. She has organized and led DEI workshops, played a major role in accreditation efforts, coordinated curriculum revision proposals, and served as PI on Federal grants. She is currently Senator Elect of the OSU Faculty Senate. Michelle is a fourth generation Beaver, graduating with her undergraduate degree from OSU. She is also currently completing her PhD at Kansas State University. Her future goals are to be a continual advocate for students and for the program.

Misty de Lei (she/her/hers), Counseling Head Advisor, received both her BS in Psychology and a Masters of Education in Counseling at Washington State University. She has worked in various higher education institutions providing counseling and advising services since 2012. She has spent the last six and a half years at OSU working as an academic advisor and student employee supervisor for the College of Business (COB). Misty is actively involved with the OSU community, serving as a faculty advisor for clubs, a member of several advising committees, and a volunteer for cultural diversity events. Outside of OSU, Misty enjoys playing video games, participating in Corvallis sports leagues (soccer, ultimate Frisbee, & softball), and spending time with her family.

Please join in extending welcome and congratulations to our two new fabulous staff in Counseling!

OSU Counseling was honored to receive the 2022 Counseling Program award from the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE), a division of the American Counseling Association (ACA). This prestigious and competitive award is presented to a counseling program that has demonstrated a commitment to the promotion of LGBTGEQIAP+ awareness and affirmation. The award will be presented to OSU counseling faculty at the national conference of the American Counseling Association this April.

Our program seeks to decrease barriers to entering and completing graduate school for students who identify as LGBTGEQIAP+, and to prepare counselors to counsel and advocate for clients who identify as LGBTGEQIAP+. As an example of this, in 2021 OSU counseling faculty assisted school counselors to implement Gender Identity Support plans to advocate for students who identify as gender expansive. What began as a program piloted at one elementary school quickly spread and is now used by school counselors in the second-largest school district in Oregon.

A community college leader of his time, Charles E. Carpenter was the founder of the Community College Leadership Program at Oregon State University, now part of the College of Education’s Adult and Higher Education Program. Shortly before Charles passed away in 2003, the Charles E. Carpenter Lecture and Conference endowment was created in his name. Today his legacy is carried on by his spouse, Doreene Carpenter.

As a young man returning from WWII, Charles completed his GED and pursued higher education in Colorado. Instructing night classes he found an affinity and talent for teaching adults. The emerging community college system became the arena for what he viewed as “servant leadership.”

He worked alongside an architect to plan and build Highline Community College in South Seattle where he was an administrator and teacher, and served briefly as interim President. With the same architect, he served as planner and initial developer of the multicampus Seattle Community College.

Charles was inspired to improve his credentials so he earned a Ph.D. at the University of Texas-Austin, surrounded by outstanding professors and a cadre of students who became notable leaders in the blooming community college movement. Immediately Charles put his skills to the challenge to become founding President of Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

When that institution was well established, Charles turned his attention to bringing additional leaders into the field in Corvallis, Oregon.

Charles and his wife, Doreene, arrived in Corvallis in 1972. He found that it would require vision and persistence to develop courses and attract professors and students in a university setting. Eventually, his Community College Leadership Program took off. Student cohorts met monthly at Silver Falls Conference Center, which allowed them to remain employed and engaged in their careers. Charles and his teaching cadre could boast that their program had the highest completion rate of all.

While Charles was accomplishing his goals, Doreene was busy as well. Having previously taught in Seattle and Austin, she enrolled in a summer class at OSU to become credentialed to continue teaching in Oregon. Although her life as an OSU student was brief, it was meaningful.

“My life’s trajectory could not have proceeded without that one class. It opened up everything for me, and I loved my teaching.”

She taught K-2 at Bellfountain School in South Benton County before becoming employed in Corvallis, where she taught primarily kindergarten at Adams, Wilson, Fairplay and Harding.

“I would have 30 students in the morning and another 30 in the afternoon. With the flow of students coming and going, I could have upwards of 70 students over a year. That is a lot of children.”

She has since enjoyed the privilege of attending weddings and holding babies, and occasional encounters with former students and their parents.

Doreene holds a great amount of pride for Charles’s extensive and lasting influence. “Students come from across the country to achieve higher degrees in community college leadership. It’s a very strong program. It’s important.”

Inside and outside the classroom, Doreene Carpenter has always found a way to inspire education. Through her support of the Charles Carpenter Conference and Lecture endowment she seeks quietly to play an impactful role in the success of College of Education students.

“My legacy has to be that I helped keep Chuck’s legacy going,” she says.

Every year, Doreene looks forward to greeting attendees of the lecture, admiring student work, and immersing herself in the richness of the lecture. She continues to donate to the event and the program, eager to see how it continues to evolve throughout the years.

“I think it’s remarkable what everyone is able to pull together and present each year,” she says. “I want these annual events to be very inclusive and bring people together.”

The lecture and Doreene’s donations all center around her belief that community colleges, and educational institutions in general, are vital to the success of everyone.

“Community colleges lift entire communities, student by student,” she says. “They are nimble and able to respond to the needs of students in their communities and create programming to support what the workforce needs or give students a leg-up toward university instruction.”

Doreene plans to continue inviting friends, associates and degree recipients to become donors to the Charles Carpenter Annual Conference and Lecture Fund. She hopes to further develop the Conference aspect of the event.

“In the end, Charles left me in a position to be able to support the annual lecture in a meaningful fashion, for which I am very grateful.”

This year’s Charles E. Carpenter Lecture and Conference Endowment will be held virtually on February 17, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PST. The event speaker will be Dr. Rufus Glasper, President, and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College. The title of the lecture is The Paradigm Shift for Higher Education.

This post is a repost of Sharon Sanchez-Aragon’s Human’s of OSU feature.

Name the courses that you teach, your credentials, and how long you’ve been at OSU?

I teach:

ED 472/572 Foundations of ESOL
ED 473/573 Instructional Approaches to ESOL Education
ED 476/576 Partnerships and Ideologies in ESOL and Bilingual Education
ED 410/510 ESOL Internship
ED 410 Supervision of Double Degree Student Teachers

I was a K-12 Educator for 17 years. I am certified to teach math, Spanish, ESOL/Bilingual Education, kindergarten through 12th grade. I have a BA in Education and an MS in ESOL/Bilingual Education.

I have been teaching in the College of Education at OSU since January 2017.

What is your favorite thing about OSU? What do you feel that Oregon State offers that sets us apart from other colleges?

First of all, we have the most beautiful campus in the country. The green, the trees and the flowers are beyond compare. We offer a wide variety of educational opportunities for students, young and older. The research that is completed in our university cannot be surpassed by any other university. Our engineering, business and agricultural colleges are known throughout the country. Soon our College of Education will be as well.

Second, our College of Education is growing because of the outstanding work that is being done to prepare new teachers for the important career of working with students in Oregon public schools and throughout the country. We are fortunate to keep so many good teachers in Oregon. However, many of our students go to work in other states where their Oregon license is accepted because of the exceptional job we do of educating and preparing our new teachers.

Most importantly, I work with the best team at Oregon State University. The ESOL/Dual Language Team is composed of the most amazing people! I have learned so much from these educators and the important research they do. Our team is working on a very important grant headed by Dr. Karen Thompson; TEAMS. This research project has brought to light the impact ESOL preparation of teachers has on the education of K-12 students. Practicing teachers in this program have improved the way that they design and differentiate instruction. Teachers feel more confident working with the English learners in their classrooms, as well as working with their parents, families and communities. Of course, we could not do this work without our support staff, who I consider a part of our team. Our college has Gosia Wojtas, Carma Ganta, Paula Dungjen and Kristin Kinman who do everything that keeps our college running in an organized and efficient way. And then there is Claire who creates materials to advertise and promote all of the work that we do. Their creative and technological skills are one of the reasons so many people choose to prepare for teaching at Oregon State University’s College of Education.

Your biggest piece of advice to current or prospective students?

As a student at Oregon State University be prepared to grow and be challenged in ways you never believed. Students at Oregon State are well rounded. They learn to be organized so that they can study hard and play hard. The events on campus range from dynamic and inspirational speakers to heart-stopping sporting events. The professors and instructors expect only high quality work from their students. It is an experience students will want to share with family and friends for years to come.

Why did you want to become a teacher and what’s the most rewarding thing about it?

I did not have very good experiences in school. Latinas especially were undervalued and treated as second class. I was made to feel that I should be ashamed of the color of my skin and the fact that my English was not perfect. However, it was as a parent that I became quite concerned about my son’s education and the manner in which he was treated in school as well. So, at the age of 30 I began my college education. As a single parent, working full-time and going to school full-time, I earned and paid for my degree and a teaching certificate. It was never easy, but it was the best decision I ever made.

I spent the next 17 years as a public school educator. Nothing has ever given my life more meaning. I was so blessed to have my students, better known as my kids, in my life. I was able to see students overcome incredible obstacles and become extremely successful in their lives. I most often chose to work with students with educational and social challenges. I also worked with our English learners. Nothing was more important than my kids, and they knew it. I was also respected by their parents and the community, who knew that I always had the students’ success and best interest at heart. I am privileged to still have contact with many of my students who are grown and have families of their own. One of my greatest joys has been my students who have chosen to become educators. Some were my student teachers when I taught high school. And although I have only been working at OSU for about 3 years, many of my students have chosen to complete their teacher training here at Oregon State, where I have been able to be their teacher again.

I take the responsibility of educating college students as seriously as I did my public education teaching. The teachers I prepare now will impact the lives of so many children. They will make the difference between a child who enjoys and values education, and one who drops out of school. My student teachers will be the ones to make sure that all children, their diversity, cultures and languages are valued and respected so that they can have the confidence they need to be successful in any field of study or career they choose. Above all, they will not have to wait until they are 30 years old to have enough confidence to start the life they were meant to live. Teaching was not and is not my career or my job, it IS my calling, my life.

What led you to Oregon State University, and how long have you worked for the College of Education?

I joined the College of Education in June 2021. Before moving to Oregon three years ago, I worked as an advisor for several years at another university like Oregon State and missed it. I enjoy the setting, values and energy of a large, public land-grant university. Education has always been an area of passion for me as well (my mother was a teacher), so when this job opportunity came up it felt like the perfect combination of where I wanted to be (OSU) and what I love to do (advising).

Tell me about your position including what you do day-to-day and what makes your job interesting?

As the Head Advisor, I work individually with students interested in becoming a teacher to help them navigate college and achieve their goals. In addition to this, I also develop processes, systems, and supports that improve the educational experience for all students. A typical day for me may include one-on-one student appointments, discussions with advisors across campus around ongoing issues and developing solutions, engaging in critical conversations with colleagues around how to address biases and systematic barriers that directly impact our students, putting together resources or tools to help students get into their desired Education program, and of course, lots of emails! I also get to work with our student ambassadors to plan community events and provide peer support for their fellow students.

What is your favorite part about your job?

The best part of my day is meeting with students. When a student reaches out or comes to see me because they are confused and frustrated and they leave with a clear direction and hope for the future, it provides purpose and meaning to all the work I do.

What do you like to do in your free time, outside of work?

Outside of work I spend a lot of time with my two kiddos (ages 8 and 3) and my husband. It’s never a dull moment in our house! I also enjoy going to the beach, reading, hiking/being outdoors, playing sports, horseback riding, watching Netflix, and taking naps.

OSU College of Education

News and more from the College of Education at Oregon State University

Author Archives: grindym

Student Feature: Nathan Ratalsky

TEAMS 2.0: Creating a ripple effect in bilingual education across Oregon

Faculty Feature: Beth Rankin

Student Feature: Andrea De Lei

Student Feature: Phillip Mitchell

Counseling program welcomes Michelle Maller and Misty de Lei!

OSU Counseling recognized for promotion of LGBTGEQIAP+ awareness and affirmation

Leading a Legacy: Doreene Carpenter supports College of Education students through Charles Carpenter Lecture

Get to know: Sharon Sánchez-Aragón

Get to know: Niki Weight

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