Simpson College Teacher Education Program

Need some items for your classroom or future classroom? Near Indianola this summer? You might want to check this out!

Retiring Elementary Teacher garage sale: June 14th & 15th 8-noon. Books, themes, learning manipulatives, toys, puzzles, crafts, microwave, mini-fridge, cookware, containers, pet kennels, and so much more.
Something for everyone and priced to sell!!!!

1202 East Girard Avenue

Simpson College Upward Bound has an opening for an academic advisor. Work with high school students to make college a reality! Check out the details and how to apply

Apply - Interfolio

No matter if you are a student, a recent graduate, or an alum, we are still here and beside you all the way.

Celebrating our seniors! Congratulations!

Congratulations to our Spring 2024 student teachers!

Jenna Norris and Alaina Stemsrud presenting their research around augmentative and alternative communication playground boards in Indianola. This project recently received a $7000 grant from the Warren county philanthropic partnership. The goal is to have accessible sign boards at all elementary schools and parks by January 2025!
Most Outstanding Poster Presentation!
Congratulations! ⭐️

Simpson Teacher Education award winners!
——Gracie Swick, Lani Mears, Jordyn Foelske, Ashley Allen, Katie Robey, Jade Tejada
Congratulations!

Another successful year at the Simpson Reading Club! 📚😎

Today we reflected on the MyPlate.gov resource and how it gives us guidance for a healthy diet. We connected this to building a strong education community as an inclusion team. We made our plates to represent the stakeholders that contribute to the overall inclusion team. Color theory influenced student color choices. 🎨

Teacher education students, along with Professor Barb Ramos, visited the Harkin Institute in Des Moines. We learned about Senator Harkin and toured the most accessible building in the United States.

Our very own professors of education Jordan Holub and Rachel Terlop are sharing their expertise at a conference in Las Vegas!

Will Patrick and Dr. Rachel Terlop published a book review of Sensory: Life on the Spectrum together in the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Graduate Student Council (GSC) December newsletter!

Simpson Science Department and Elementary Education students hosted a science fair at Four Mile Elementary. Our preservice teachers engaged K-5 grade students in activities incorporating roller coasters and pollination! We all had a blast!

Will the real Professor Chad Timm please step forward?

Speakers from Adventures in Social Development (ASD) - Annie Mielke and Joseph Parrish! Today scholars are learning about All Inclusive Role-Play Design and the power of drama in developing social skills! 🎭

🌟 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) promotes inclusive education by providing multiple means of representation, action, and expression for all learners.
💡 In teacher education, UDL encourages play-based center time engagement, fostering a rich and diverse learning experience for students. 🎉 📚🍎

Inclusive Teacher Education candidates envisioned their most intentional teacher selves. Then, they worked to show this version of themselves with aluminum foil.

Congratulations to Professor Barb Ramos! The Exemplary Teaching Award is well deserved!

Simpson Teacher Education professors participate in the 2023 Storm Golf Outing!
Jordan Holub and Rachel Terlop with President Byers.

Ending another successful year and celebrating our two retirees! Thanks Sharon Jensen and Marcy Hahn for all you have done for the Teacher Education Program!

Let’s give a Big Congratulations to the 2023 Simpson College Teacher Education Award Winners 🎊🎉

Leadership Award- Caitlyn Potter

Outstanding Elementary Education Student- Abby Cozzoni

Outstanding Masters of Teaching - Dakota Bunnell

Donna Helble Award - Lani Mears

Outstanding Secondary Education Student - Kennedi Wright

We’re so excited for our award winners and can’t wait for their continued success in the future!

What’s yours?

Happy First day of class students, staff and, faculty! What a great semester it’s going to be! 🙂

Student Spotlight: Hannah Alfstad
She is a senior at Simpson College and will graduate with an endorsement in reading. Her hometown is Indianola.

She has a puppy named Millie at home, who loves to play, eat, and sleep. In her free time, she loves to go on walks, hang out with family and friends, and go out to eat at Los Flores.

She chose Simpson College because she wanted to get the best education for her degree and continue the tradition in her family. She's most excited about student teaching in the fall, and her absolute dream grade would be 1st or 2nd grade.

Her favorite thing about the teacher education program is how close we all are to the program. "Having professors and students by your side at all times is something she's been grateful for attending Simpson College."

If you see Hannah around campus say hi and congratulate her on all of her accomplishments!

We had such a great first education mingle and mock interview! Thanks to all the career development staff and department chair Kate Lerseth, and student teaching coordinator Sue Edwards for such a successful event!

What a laugh! What are some silly things your student have said to you?

I like to eat my big cup peanut butter cups in private in my 🚗. Please don't honk!

Student Spotlight: Hope Shaman

She grew up in Mason City, IA, and graduated from Clear Lake, IA
and is a senior at Simpson. She lives in Des Moines with her boyfriend Matt, and their three cats, Oliver, Martin, and Tito. she loves to sing, listen to music, and decorate!

She chose Simpson because it was the only school I took a visit day with, and she absolutely loved the campus. "It's so beautiful in every season, all the staff were so welcoming, and the school offered so much for students in every department." Now she's majoring in Elementary Education, Liberal Arts, with endorsements in Reading, English/Language Arts

She will be student-teaching, and everything in her time in the education department has been leading up to this point. She can't wait to be hands-on and experience what this job is like. she graduates in April, so she's getting so excited to move to the next chapter of her life!

Her sweet spot is first through fourth, so anywhere between those grades!

Hope said her favorite part of the Education program was the professors, "I have had such an amazing experience at Simpson in the education program because of the wonderful people that devote their time to future educators. They've all been so welcoming, accommodating, and inspiring."