Asbury Professors and Students Present at KEEP Education Conference

May 23, 2018

The Asbury University School of Education is known for being one of the best in Kentucky and last weekend, this proved to be true yet again. Asbury Professors Dr. David Riel and Dr. Tim Crook. alongside students Kali Whiteside ‘17, Kaitlin Smith ’19 and Madison Lee ’19, presented at the KEEP (Kentucky Excellence in Educator Preparation) Conference in Louisville, Ky.

More than 170 educators, including Executive Director of EPSB (Education Professional Standards Board) Jimmy Adams and Interim Kentucky Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis, attended the conference.

The Asbury presentation was entitled “Maintaining Strong District Partnerships Between Higher Education and P-12” and focused on the School of Education’s partnerships with Kentucky public schools.

Attendees also participated in breakout sessions on topics such as literacy, lesson-planning, supporting English learners, the relationship between teacher behavior and student outcome, classroom management and cultural responsiveness.

Riel, Asbury’s School of Education Director of Clinical Experiences, was highly impressed with the Asbury presentation at the conference.

“It reaffirmed what I have heard from many public school principals – ‘Asbury teacher candidates have skills and knowledge that exceed what a typical college graduate may have,’” Riel said. “It gave me a sense that our teacher candidates believe so much in what the Asbury School of Education is doing that they are willing to explain and promote it to other universities.”

The KEEP Conference is just one of many opportunities that Asbury education majors have to get outside-of-the-classroom experience.

“[There are] tons of opportunities, [including] 200 clinical hours in public schools, opportunities to judge science fairs in public schools, opportunities to travel to Eastern Kentucky to work in the schools there, opportunities to take a leadership role in TELL (Teacher Educators Leading and Learning), the opportunity to do half of their student teaching overseas and participation in Speed Interviewing with local principals and administrators,” Riel said.

To learn more about Asbury University’s School of Education visit www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/education/.