Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1516512
March 2024 isea.org • ISEA Communiqué 2 GET TO KNOW ME GET TO KNOW ME Echo Gates Position title and school/district: Special Education Teacher at Hoyt Middle School in Des Moines Public Schools Tell us a little about yourself: I grew up on the east side of Des Moines and attended Stowe Elementary.My family moved while I was in middle school, then I attended Southeast Polk where I graduated from in 2009. I attended Drake University and then transferred to Iowa State where I graduated from with my elementary education degree. After graduating that December, I subbed and then interviewed and accepted a special education position at Hoyt Middle School in 2017. I have recently graduated Drake University with my masters. I currently live close to Hoyt with my husband, two daughters, and dog. What's one skill you think everyone should have? Adaptability. The definition that I like states: adjust to new conditions. As a teacher, wife, and mom I feel that I am constantly adjusting to new conditions. In the classroom it is something that makes the difference in having a tough day to making the day an okay day. When things come my way in the classroom, I am not expecting this is something I must mentally say to myself take this in stride and pivot to make it the best it can be. This happens daily in all aspects of my life, and it has been something that originally did not come naturally for me. I had to learn and practice really adapting to things as they come up. Doing so has helped me grow as an educator in many ways that have spilled over into my personal life as well. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and what would you ask them? If I could have dinner with any historical figure I would go with Billie Holiday and I would ask her how it felt to be stepping out as a female artist in a male-dominated musical style. I would also ask her what one piece of advice she would give female artists now that were wanting to start in the music industry. Who would you most like to swap places with for a day? I would like to swap places with my dog Paul Anka. The reason being that he gets to stay home all day doing whatever he wants. He loves to sleep, which, with a small child I am lacking in. He also can sit and watch the neighborhood out the window making sure that his home is protected and safe, which is something that as a mom I do, too. It would be nice to relax all day in a quiet space all to myself. What's the most memorable concert or live event you've attended? This is a tough question as there are quite a few options that I have specific memories of. But, if tasked with picking just one, I would pick seeing The London Philharmonic Orchestra. At the time I was in high school, I was involved in band and loved being able to express my emotions through music. Being able to sit in the audience at that concert while the musicians on stage expressed themselves is something I will always cherish and remember. What's the coolest thing you're working on now? I am currently working on incorporating Thinking Classrooms in my special education math classroom to engage and push students to a deeper understanding of math and the concepts they are learning. Echo Gates By Mike Wiser, editor, mike.wiser@isea.org A streamlined pathway to earn a four-year teaching degree has its roots with a union activist hoping to help students in southeastern Iowa enter the education profession. Amy Drew began teaching early childhood education at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington three years ago following an 18- year education career as a teacher and instructional coach in the Burlington Community School District. At the time, many of her students would get their AA degrees and then pursue a four-year at Iowa Wesleyan in nearby Mount Pleasant with plans to go into teaching. But when Wesleyan closed in March 2023 after years of financial issues it left some students spinning. "We had students saying, 'Where am I supposed to go?' and 'What am I supposed to do?'" Drew said. "Everyone just kept telling them to 'go online' to finish, but no. It's hard to become a teacher without that interaction. I did my master's online and it's just not the same." With the support of her boss, Dean of Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development Ashlee Spannagel, set out on a mission: find a program that would serve her students. Community-centric approach "When we received the devastating news about Iowa Wesleyan's closure, it became Ms. Drew's mission to secure a new partnership so that our students could continue their educational paths without disruption," Spannagel said. "It was near the end of April when Ms. Drew reached out to potential partners, so for us to be able to identify and secure a partnership Southeast Community College's Amy Drew (left) and Iowa State Education Association UniServ Director Kristen Septer show off some of the news coverage announcing the education program partnership between SCC and Mount Mercy University. MIKE WISER/IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. Tackling the "teacher shortage" continued on page 7