Teacher candidate Blackford receives student teaching scholarship
11/17/15
Senior teacher candidate Madison Blackford received the Polly J. Broussard Student Teaching Scholarship from Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana for her positive impact in the classroom, enthusiasm for teaching, academic record, and community involvement.
Karen Donnelly, instructor of the fall student teaching course, said, “Madison deserves this award. She works very hard and goes beyond our program requirements by attending professional workshops and conferences. She accompanied faculty to Reggio Emilia, Italy last spring to observe first hand some of the premier early childhood schools in the world. It is a pleasure to walk into her classroom and watch her engaging lessons and interactions with children.”
Blackford is a senior in the PK-3 Teacher Education program. She is currently student teaching at Rollins Place Elementary in Zachary, La. She describes student teaching as not only a learning experience, but also very rewarding.
Teacher candidates in the PK-3 Teacher Education program participate in field-based professional blocks and student teaching in diverse professional development school settings. Candidates also participate in reflective seminars. The program is characterized by expectations and outcomes threaded throughout the coursework and field-based professional blocks and two semesters of student teaching.
“I would have to say that one thing that I have learned from student teaching is how important classroom community is,” Blackford said. “From the minute the students walk in the door on the first day of school, you as a teacher are welcoming those children into a place that they feel like they belong. By modeling and creating opportunities to build a sense of community, you can tell when you walk in the classroom that those students respect one another and see each other as a family.”
After Blackford graduates in May, she will pursue a teaching career with young children in the hopes of eventually opening her own preschool.
The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL) is the premier educators’ organization in Louisiana, advancing A+ teachers as career professionals. By focusing on professional development, teacher advocacy and excellence in education, we empower Louisiana’s youth for future success.
About SOE
The LSU School of Education offers graduate and undergraduate programs in Curriculum and Instruction and in Educational Leadership, Research, and Counseling. The school’s mission is to prepare P-12 educational professionals to be leaders, practitioners and scholars knowledgeable in contemporary educational issues.
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About CHSE
The College of Human Sciences & Education is a nationally accredited division of LSU. Formed in 2012, the college brings together programs and capitalizes on individual strengths to create a dynamic new college that addresses the socially significant issues we face as a state and nation. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Library and Information Science, the School of Social Work and the University Laboratory School. These combined schools offer eight undergraduate degree programs and 18 graduate programs, enrolling more than 1,900 undergraduate and 977 graduate students. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is continually working to improve its programs.
Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education at lsu.edu/chse