Huntington student-teacher mentor receives award
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Huntington, Ind.-The Huntington University Education Department along with the Association of Teacher Educators-Indiana Unit honored Carol Leiter as an Outstanding Cooperative Teacher. She accepted her award at a banquet and awards presentation on Oct. 27. The banquet was held at the Abe Martin Lodge at Brown County State Park in Nashville, Ind. Carol Leiter taught in the Huntington County Community School Corporation for 38 years. She retired last spring. She spent 39 years in the same hallway at Northwest Elementary School as she had done her student teaching there. She was originally hired the next year as a third grade teacher. In recent years, she has been a fourth grade teacher. Leiter also holds a master's degree from Indiana University-Purdue University of Fort Wayne.
During the years, Leiter mentored a total of 16 Huntington University student teachers. One year, she had one in the fall and one in the spring. She also has mentored many junior level practicum students over the years - too many to count.
"She is an excellent mentor," said Kathy Turner, instructor in education at Huntington University. "She considered it a privilege. She always found it rewarding and loved learning from her student teachers by observing new ideas and methods."
Mentoring student teachers and practicum students helped Leiter stay current in her own teaching methods. She considered the experience a "classroom in the classroom." Leiter also enjoyed watching student teachers bond with her students and considered the relationship between cooperating teacher and student teacher to be a partnership. She commented that it was always great to have two teachers in the room.
When asked about frustrations she had difficulty coming up with any, but finally decided that time was frustrating. There was not enough time to mentor and help the student teachers. Time also went by extremely fast. One of the greatest rewards of mentoring student teachers for Leiter was seeing them become teachers.
"I love to see 'my student teachers' out teaching," she said.
