voices-features-2

Words of Encouragement

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 20:08:45 +0000

Words of Encouragement Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/05/2018 - 14:08

Hannah Fletcher

How teachers set the stage for Christine Arguello鈥檚 ambitions and accomplishments.

It came after a particularly defeating moment in class鈥擟hristine Arguello had revealed her dream to attend Harvard Law School, a secret she had held since seventh grade. It was the 1970s, and the determined young Latina was looking for reassurance from her classmates. Instead, Arguello (Edu鈥�77) was met with blank stares and then, her worst fear, the class erupted in laughter. Her English teacher, Mrs. Poplin, went looking for the defeated Arguello after class, looked her in the eyes, and said, 鈥淐hris, I know you can do it.鈥�

鈥淭hose seven words from a person I deeply respected were all I needed to reignite the flame of my ambition,鈥� she said. 鈥淪oon my anger at my classmates rivaled my hunger and desire.鈥�

First, Arguello鈥檚 aspirations took her to 精品SM在线影片 to study elementary education, although her undergraduate studies were almost a near-miss. The oldest daughter in a family of six, Arguello grew up in Buena Vista, Colorado, with limited resources. Neither of her parents attained a high school diploma. At one point, her father revealed she would need to stay home to help her family despite her acceptance into 精品SM在线影片. Fortunately, her ailing mother overheard, stepped in, and insisted Arguello follow her dreams.

Arguello at her graduation from Harvard Law School.

Her 精品SM在线影片 education was the launch pad for many laudable firsts: the first in her family to obtain a postgraduate degree; first Latina from Colorado to attend Harvard Law School; first Latina to be made partner at one of Colorado鈥檚鈥渂ig four鈥� law firms; first Latina to be promoted to full professor at University of Kansas School of Law; and perhaps most notably, the first Latina to become a United States District Court judge for the District of Colorado, where she presides today.

Arguello鈥檚 elementary education degree paved the way for her accomplishments and beyond. Her education degree reflects what she called her 鈥渇irst-choice career鈥� to become a teacher like her beloved fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Cole, whose words instilled Arguello鈥檚 interest in school when she aptly called her 鈥渁mbitious.鈥� Supporting education continues to be vital to Arguello鈥檚 work. She founded the law school pipeline program, Law School...Yes We Can (S铆 Se Puede), to help guide and mentor underrepresented students who, like her, dream big.

An Arguello family photo following her son's graduation from Colorado Law School.

鈥淚 know that I did not succeed all on my own鈥擨 am indebted to many people, some of whom I know because they mentored me, and others whom I don鈥檛 know because they were the people who came before me to blaze new trails for me to follow,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 realize that there are still many such students, like me, who come from low-income families and are often the first in their family to graduate from high school or college. They lack access to the types of people and experiences that allow their more privileged peers to discern a career. I thought, 鈥榃hy should the future success of these hardworking, big-dreaming students be left to serendipity? Why don鈥檛 we do something about it?鈥欌€�

It came after a particularly defeating moment in class鈥擟hristine Arguello revealed her secret dream to attend Harvard Law School. The class erupted in laughter, but teachers helped set the stage for the education alumna's many accomplishments to come, including becoming the first Latina to become a U.S. District Court Judge for Colorado.

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Faculty Bookshelf

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 20:04:26 +0000

Faculty Bookshelf Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/05/2018 - 14:04

A quick look at what colleagues are saying about our faculty鈥檚 recent publications.

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Educating the Teachers of Tomorrow

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 20:00:55 +0000

Educating the Teachers of Tomorrow Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/05/2018 - 14:00

Jamy Stillman began her career as a bilingual teacher for fourth and fifth grades in an agricultural community on California鈥檚 Central Coast. Those experiences planted the seeds of her growing enthusiasm for leading teacher education and working with teachers in their communities to ensure all children receive an excellent education.

An associate professor of educational equity and cultural diversity, Stillman is the chair of the elementary education programs, and chair of the undergraduate major in elementary education, which was launched in fall 2017.

Stillman was drawn to 精品SM在线影片鈥檚 School of Education because its values of equity and justice aligned with her own.

Teaching isn鈥檛 just a job. It鈥檚 a path that positions people to make the world a more just place.鈥�

Her research focuses on intersections between cultural and linguistic diversity in public schools, teacher education and learning, educational policy, and elementary literacy instruction.

Stillman explores how teacher education students and practicing teachers navigate the demands of high-stakes accountability policies and standards-based reforms, particularly in high-poverty, underresourced schools serving students from historically underserved communities, especially bi/multilingual students.

鈥淚鈥檓 focused on various dimensions of teachers鈥� learning, including teachers鈥� understandings about the equity- and justice-related dilemmas they face in the classroom,鈥� she said, 鈥渆specially what teachers can do when particular policies conflict with their own values and professional knowledge about teaching bi/multilingual students. This work with practicing teachers has led me to ask similar questions about how we鈥檙e preparing new teachers to go out and critically navigate the terrain they鈥檙e walking into.鈥�

Stillman received a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of California, San Diego and a master鈥檚 degree and bilingual, multiple-subject teaching credential from the University of California, Santa Cruz. As a new teacher in an equity-focused professional development school, she was mentored by veteran bilingual teachers, many of them activists in the community. Stillman was later invited to join a professional development project, the Optimal Learning Environment (OLE), which focused on equity and social justice for bilingual students.

Through the OLE project, Stillman worked with teachers of migrant students across the Southwest to provide more responsive, asset-oriented literacy instruction that valued and built upon students鈥� cultural and linguistic wealth.

At the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned a doctorate, Stillman served as a field supervisor in the teacher education program, which entailed visiting elementary schools and overseeing student teachers placed in high-poverty schools.

Now in her third year at CU, Stillman continues to be inspired by the teacher educators and students who are committed to embedding justice and equity into their research and teaching. What stands out about CU鈥檚 teacher education programs, unlike those at peer institutions, is that nearly all teaching is being done by tenure-line faculty, she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a unique dynamic that says something important about our commitment to teacher education,鈥� Stillman said.

The new elementary education major is for future teachers specifically interested in elementary education and, after completing extensive specialized coursework, graduates also earn an endorsement in cultural and linguistic diversity. The degree draws on the existing strengths and resources of the School of Education, which is widely recognized for its evidence-based academic programs and its commitment to diversity, democracy, equity and justice.

It鈥檚 a good time for the new elementary education degree, as Colorado and the nation face growing teacher shortages, particularly in high-need areas and among teachers prepared to work with diverse populations, including bi/multilingual learners.

鈥淭eaching isn鈥檛 just a job. It鈥檚 a path that positions people to make the world a more just place,鈥� Stillman said. 鈥淚鈥檓 inspired that there continue to be people who understand teaching鈥檚 importance and choose that path even when the current public discourse about teachers can be negative.

鈥淚 feel energized by the urgency of doing this work and putting excellent teachers in schools,鈥� she continued. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to preparing humanizing teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse learners. That鈥檚 at the core of everything we鈥檙e doing here.鈥�

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