SOE Event Highlights
It’s always busy in the School of Education, both inside and outside of the classroom. Here is just a taste of the various events and learning in the School of Education during the 2024-25 academic year.
FAITH IN EVERY SPACE: As part of their preparation to become teachers, Baylor students attend the SOE’s annual “Faith in K-12 Education” seminar, featuring faculty from three different fields. Break-out sessions were led by Dr. Jeffrey Petersen, professor of sport management; Lisa Plemons, lecturer in special education; and Dr. Sandra Talbert (pictured), clinical associate professor and former school district superintendent.
COMMUNITY INPUT: In February, the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities hosted the inaugural community conversation on employment for individuals with disabilities, with more than 60 attendees. The Center offers numerous events for different audiences to support its mission to foster inclusive collaboration and highlight the indispensable contributions and full participation of people with disabilities throughout the lifespan. To learn more about the Center’s work and events, sign up for the newsletter here: BCDD NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
THE GIFT OF SPORTS: Every fall semester, MSEd sport management students in Dr. Mar Magnusen’s class, “Athletics Fundraising and Development,” organize philanthropic projects for the Waco community. Fall 2024 students successfully organized both a toy drive and clothing drive, collecting 410 toys and 250 items of clothing.
SHARING SCHOLARSHIP: Graduate students studying higher education in Dr. Nathan Alleman’s "Qualitative Research Methods" course concluded the semester with research poster presentations. “Our annual qualitative research poster session is one of my favorite days of the academic year,” Alleman said. “Students often remark afterward that talking about their semester-long projects gives them a taste of what it means to be an expert, which is so valuable for emerging scholars.”
OPEN DIALOGUE: The School of Education co-hosted — with Baylor’s Bridgebuilding Fellows program and the Provost’s Scholars program — an evening bringing together students, faculty, and community members to discuss the role of civil discourse in educational spaces, with presentations by Dr. Kevin Villegas in student life and the SOE’s Dr. Karon LeCompte.
CAPITOL ADVENTURE: Baylor preservice teachers represented their future profession in Austin on Tuesday, April 1. They participated in meetings with representatives, senators, and staffers, advocating for the teaching profession and encouraging representatives to do what is best for Texas’s children, teachers, and schools. They were also recognized on the floor of the House and attended House and Senate deliberations.
100% PLACEMENT: For the fourth year in a row, School Psychology PhD students in the Department of Educational Psychology achieved a 100% “match” for placements in pre-doctoral psychology internships accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The paid internships are full-time, 12-month positions where the students acquire approximately 2000 hours of supervised clinical experiences. Students pictured (l-r) are Cassie Jennings (Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, TX), Scarlett Gardner (University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston), Kayla Trites (Fraser Clinical Psychology Internship, Bloomington, MN), Bradley Davis (Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, TX), Madeline Pettit (Lewisville Independent School District, TX), Janie Contreras-Munoz (University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY).
EARLY AND OFTEN: Baylor undergraduate teacher-education students receive opportunities to teach local students during their first education course, “Introduction to Education,” giving them a chance in their first semester at Baylor to both confirm their calling to teach and begin making an impact through education immediately. This year students taught at either Rapoport Academy Middle School or Hewitt Elementary in Midway ISD (pictured).