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The pandemic has forced many educators to teach in a virtual format. While not ideal in many cases, the lifelong learners and influencers continue to lead by example and persevere for their students through challenging times.

At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Educational Administration graduate students are juggling those adjustments at their day job, and simultaneously learning remotely themselves as they pursue an advanced degree.

“We are so impressed by the flexibility and perseverance of our aspiring administrators,” said School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) Interim Associate Dean Alison Reeves, PhD. “They have been assisting their school administration as interns where needed while also innovating in their own classrooms.” 

“As a remote teacher in my district, I have students from four buildings in grades 3-5,” explained Rebecca Artime, of O'Fallon, a special education teacher in Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7, who is pursuing the principal endorsement and a specialist’s degree in educational administration. “It has been difficult to meet the needs of my special education students virtually, but I have embraced the challenge of learning new things. I always try to make the best of a situation, and have chosen to use this time to expand upon my skills as an educator, mentor and leader.” 

“The pandemic has forced me to change roles to an e-learning instructor,” added Cole Stoner, a special education teacher at Pekin Community High School, who is pursuing a master’s in education. “While not ideal, it has given me a different perspective on online learning. As a coach, it has reminded me to be thankful for the opportunities that we have.”

From teachers to learners, Artime and Stoner are completing projects through SEHHB’s Educational Administration program. The applied projects serve to develop their expertise in using research to make changes to school and other learning organizations that improve learning outcomes.

Artime’s project, “Examining the efficacy of Response to Intervention programs with reading,” involved the creation of an action plan targeting improved outcomes in reading, specifically among K-2 students.

“I have been working on utilizing data to make decisions, specifically in the area of literacy,” Artime explained. “I created an action plan in collaboration with our district’s director of curriculum and reading specialists. Its goals include providing professional development to all staff members on the science of reading, professional learning communities and response to intervention, refinement of our Tier 1 (Core) literacy program at the K-2 grade levels to include evidence-based phonics, and providing a pre-k program for students in the northern area of our district. Working closely with the literacy specialists and curriculum director has provided the opportunity to set goals which will benefit our most vulnerable students.”

Stoner’s project, “Exploring curricular change options to better support students in Advanced Placement (AP) courses,” has offered a new lens to look through as a leader.

“The idea was to focus on curriculum development to assist students in their preparation for AP exams,” Stoner said. “We found many positive trend data to show how well our students were performing, and we also found classes that have not produced the desired results. The data we collected was shared with building administrators and department heads to formulate a plan to create a more well-rounded curriculum.”

For more information on the Educational Administration program within the SEHHB Department of Educational Leadership, visit siue.edu/education/edld/edad.

Photo: (L-R) SIUE students in the educational administration graduate program Rebecca Artime and Cole Stoner.