Education
Faculty Bios & Courses
“In daily class sessions we test, shape, and strengthen our
scholarship and beliefs by bringing a myriad of personal
experiences into the realm of educational thought. My intention
is to build alliances across differences, to rub ideas together,
and then watch and learn as the sparks fly.”
Kerry Bostwick, Professor of Education
C
600 FIRST STREET SW | MOUNT VERNON, IOWA 52314 | CORNELLCOLLEGE.EDU
ornell College’s education
department prepares students
for careers in elementary and
secondary teaching, as well
as a variety of education-related fields.
Our courses are small, interactive,
and challenging. Cornell education
students come from varied places and
backgrounds, and our graduates work in
all types of schools across the country
and internationally.
Students who major in education at
Cornell become certified as K-12 teachers
and are prepared for a wide range of other
education-related fields, such as school
counseling, coaching, and graduate work
in educational policy. All education majors
are firmly grounded in the liberal arts,
as they complete coursework in multiple
disciplines. Secondary certification
majors also complete a major in their
respective field of study. Studying
education in a liberal arts setting is
especially important, as the best teachers
are those who not only possess a wide
breadth of knowledge, but who also
appreciate learning for learning’s sake.
BENEFITS OF ONE COURSE AT A TIME
Practicums Because of the One Course
At A Time curriculum, our education
majors complete practicums in actual
classrooms beginning in their first
year. These early experiences help them
discover what area of study and level
they would like to teach. By the time they
graduate, majors will spend at minimum
20 weeks in various public school
classrooms, something that is rare in
education programs across the nation.
One Course At A Time is ideal for
completing a practicum in the public
schools for several reasons. First,
practicum students do not have to
negotiate scheduling conflicts with
other courses, and so they can spend
whole days at their school sites and
get connected with their classrooms
in a way that is not always possible
for those who only have an hour or
two to be in the classroom each day.
Second, practicum complements the
One Course At A Time curriculum,
making the methods course distinctively
experiential. Education majors have
the opportunity to immediately apply
theory to practice and discuss what they
are learning with their professors and
peers. In many ways, the practicums
completed during the methods courses
are more similar to shortened student
teaching experiences, and so education
majors at Cornell feel comfortable and
prepared when they begin student
teaching in their senior years.
Teaching Opportunities There are
many opportunities for international
student teaching with 14 countries
to choose from. Our director of
teacher education and the education
department faculty assist students as
they prepare for careers as teachers,
supervising their student teachers
closely and guiding them through
the professional job search process.
Students have the opportunity to mock
interview on campus with several local
principals who are brought to campus
for an Education Career Day. Students
majoring in education at Cornell have
the opportunity to experience diverse
school experiences during their methods
courses, and student teaching is
completed in our local rural and
city schools, or, if preferred,
cont. >
Kerry Bostwick
Professor of Education
Taught elementary school
classes for nine years and
is the recipient of a National
Council of Teachers of English
grant for teacher research. Her
research interests are teachers
as researchers, humanistic
classroom environment,
and preservice teachers.
B.G.S., elementary education,
University of Iowa; M.Ed.,
curriculum and instruction,
National-Louis University;
Ph.D., educational psychology,
curriculum, and instruction,
The Union Institute.
Jill Heinrich
Associate Professor of
Education
Taught high school English
for 12 years and has taught a
variety of education, literature,
and composition courses
at the secondary through
college level. Her research
interests are masculinity
studies, religious literacy, and
separation of church and
state in the realm of public
education. B.A., English,
Northern Illinois University;
M.S., English education,
Illinois State University; Ph.D.,
English education, University
of Iowa.
Kate Kauper
Assistant Professor of
Education
Taught middle and high
school social studies for nine
years, as well as courses in
mythology, health education,
and anthropology. Her
research interests include the
history of American curriculum
theory, educational criticism
and connoisseurship, social
and emotional learning,
civic engagement, and
equity and social justice in
educational opportunity. B.A.,
anthropology, University of
Colorado-Boulder; M.A.,
curriculum and instruction,
University of ColoradoBoulder; Ph.D., social studies
education, University of Iowa.
cornellcollege.edu
/academics
off-campus in Chicago or a foreign country. Cornell
education students have the opportunity to teach
in countries such as New Zealand, Spain, Kenya,
Ireland, England, and Costa Rica. As a result,
many Cornell College education graduates are now
teaching abroad in countries such as Switzerland,
Honduras, Romania, Russia, China, Kuwait,
and El Salvador.
The education department sends one student
abroad each year for student teaching, an
experience that is funded by a generous grant
through the Cornell Fellows program. And more
students have the opportunity to student teach
abroad if they are approved by the education
department faculty and able to pay their own
expenses. Students first spend two blocks teaching
in the United States, then go abroad for two blocks
to student teach. The department also offers an
off-campus course in Belize, where students
spend a block teaching in the local schools and
experiencing the Belizean culture. Students have
the opportunity to visit the Lamanai Mayan Ruins,
go ziplining in the jungle, and go cave tubing.
The department is currently exploring additional
off-campus courses in international settings. The
department plans to offer a course to Cuba in the
2016-17 year.
CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS
We offer a major in elementary education and
coursework leading to secondary certification
through our Teacher Education Program.
Our program is designed to meet the teacher
certification requirements for the State of Iowa in
39 endorsement areas. In addition, our faculty,
coursework, and education office also assist
students in meeting the requirements of other states.
Education majors may earn a Bachelor of Arts,
Bachelor of Music, or Bachelor of Special Studies.
Cornell’s elementary education majors are certified
for K-6th grade nationally, and in Iowa for K-8th
grade. Cornell’s secondary education program
provides certification for teaching 7th-12th grade.
Secondary education majors also choose second
majors as their areas of specialization. Education
majors at Cornell can be certified to teach K-12
for music education, art education, and physical
education. In addition, we offer the Elementary
Education Reading Endorsement as an online
program, and so students can complete this
endorsement over the course of two summer school
sessions, thus giving them a competitive edge in the
job market.
The state of Iowa is comprehensive in its
coursework requirements, and a Cornell education
degree will likely ensure that the education majors
will be able to be certified in other states.
AFTER CORNELL
Upon receiving a degree in education from Cornell,
you will have the opportunity to pursue teaching
in any location you wish. Iowa, as a state, is highly
regarded for both its public schools and higher
education, and this reputation serves students
well in the job search process. Employers actively
seek Cornell College education majors in the state
of Iowa, as they have proven to be highly qualified
because of their content area expertise, work ethic,
and positive attitudes.
Our graduates have a high placement rate. Cornell
also has graduates teaching abroad in Honduras,
El Salvador, Kuwait, China, Switzerland, Japan,
and Romania. Here are a sampling of our alumni:
Meg Jacobs
Assistant Professor of
Education
Was an elementary teacher for
15 years, serving in the roles
of classroom teacher, literacy
coach, and Title 1 reading
teacher. Her research interests
include culturally responsive
pedagogy, the role of identity
and agency in learning,
classroom discourse, the
literacy practices of culturally
and linguistically diverse
learners underrepresented in
schools, and the relationship
between literacy, power,
and inequality. B.A.,
elementary education; M.A.,
developmental reading; Ph.D.,
language, literacy, and culture,
University of Iowa.
First grade teacher, Belinder Elementary School,
Prairie Village, Kansas (Class of 2014)
Cindy Postler
Director of Teacher
Education
English teacher, Dundee-Crown High School,
Lake in The Hills, Illinois (Class of 2013)
Taught high school English for
three years, and supervised
student teachers for four
years before joining Cornell in
2008. B.A., English education,
University of Northern
Iowa; M.A., educational
administration, University
of Iowa.
First grade teacher, West Side Summit, St. Paul,
Minnesota (Class of 2013)
Sixth grade teacher, Iowa City Community School
District, Iowa City, Iowa (Class of 2012)
Math teacher, Mount Vernon High School,
Mount Vernon, Iowa (Class of 2012)
Elementary school teacher, Cartwright School
District, Phoenix, Arizona (Class of 2011)
Youth mental counselor, Hillsboro School District,
Hillsboro, Oregon (Class of 2008)
Preschool teacher, Gunma Kokusai Academy,
Ota-shi, Japan (Class of 2008)
Assistant director, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins, Colorado (Class of 2004)
Challenge director/program specialist, Ramapo for
Children, Rhinebeck, New York (Class of 2003)
Teen librarian, African American Research
Library, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Class of 2002)
Superintendent, Flournoy Union Elementary
School District, Flournoy, California (Class of 1998)