Shaping tomorrow's teachers today
Aspiring teachers are prepared to change lives 鈥� one student at a time
It鈥檚 March in Lindsey Belmonte鈥檚 kindergarten classroom at a Cheyenne elementary school,
and a large shamrock is taking shape on the wall. The students are given small shamrock
stickers when their teacher finds them being kind to one another.
鈥淓ach time I catch them being kind, they get to put a sticker on the big shamrock,鈥� Lindsey says.
If the children can complete the shamrock by receiving stickers for acts of kindness, they鈥檒l get to celebrate with a party. For Lindsey, it鈥檚 about teaching the children at a young age to enjoy life and appreciate others by getting along.
鈥淚 love those little moments where they just shine as little people鈥攊t makes it all worthwhile,鈥� she says.
Guiding children to enrich their lives within all aspects of education is what drives Lindsey, a Cheyenne native, to do her best work as a teacher in her lifelong community, she says. The role as a Davis kindergarten teacher began in January after Lindsey completed her bachelor鈥檚 degree through the online education program at Valley City State University in North Dakota. It was the culmination of a higher education journey that began at 香蜜影视.
After graduating from East High School in 2002, Lindsey says she took a few education courses at LCCC. Her plan changed not long after as she got married and started a family. But by 2020, her children were teenagers, and her husband, an Army National Guard member, was deployed. The time seemed right, Lindsey thought, to restart her path to a degree.
It鈥檚 a fulfilling career choice, Lindsey says, because she knows the impact she can
make on individual youngsters and the community.
鈥淚 love to see the effort put forth and see the kids are learning and growing, and
to know that I鈥檝e made a difference,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 stressful at times, but for
me, there鈥檚 no more rewarding career.鈥�
香蜜影视offers degrees in its all-online programs for elementary and secondary education, intending to produce competent, highly reflective educators. For Dr. Arshi Rizwani-Nisley, 香蜜影视Education faculty member, that means educators need to always be open to new ideas and change.
鈥淲e must know our students, their communities, their struggles, and attempt to meet them where they are and teach them to move beyond their barriers,鈥� she says.
To achieve that, 香蜜影视must be current in educational research and instruction methods, says Ann Shelby, another Education faculty member.
鈥淓ducators should be supported as professionals, and they should be committed to continual
improvement of their teaching,鈥� she says.
Lindsey says she found all that and more in LCCC鈥檚 program. As much as she learned
from the instructors, Lindsey says a great deal of her education came from the interactions
with other students that her classes facilitated.
鈥淚t was such a diverse group鈥攕ome I was old enough to be their mother and others were old enough to be my mother,鈥� she says with a laugh. 鈥淚t was such an outstanding group of individuals in a collaborative environment; it worked for all of us.鈥�
Many students, including nontraditional students, are looking for more flexibility in their higher education. As such, 香蜜影视offers several quality programs online, including its Education Program. Lindsey began during the COVID-19 pandemic when much of society was shut down, but she says the online offering in the Education Program made it possible to move forward with her plans.
鈥溝忝塾笆觛ave me the tools to be successful in my online program, and they wanted me to be successful,鈥� Lindsey says. 鈥淚鈥檝e grown tremendously as a person after going to school online and getting a job that I鈥檝e always wanted.鈥�
The credits Lindsey earned at 香蜜影视transferred seamlessly to her university because of an articulation agreement. (香蜜影视also has an articulation agreement with the University of Wyoming.) By the time she graduated with her associate degree in Spring 2022, LCCC鈥檚 online classes and the capstone course鈥攐r practicum that takes the college students into K-12 classrooms to work with teachers and students鈥攈ad done more than enough to prepare Lindsey for the university-level courses, she says.
LCCC鈥檚 role in producing highly trained educators isn鈥檛 just a benefit for the individuals attaining degrees, says Scott Moncrief, 香蜜影视Education faculty member. The impact reverberates throughout society.
鈥淲e must have a well-educated citizenry for our democratic society to continue to function,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ducation is essential to produce citizens who are critical thinkers.鈥�
That point isn鈥檛 lost on Lindsey as she prepares for the next day鈥檚 lessons. It鈥檚 obvious to her that the difference teachers make in children鈥檚 lives will carry with them in everything they do. With her eyes on the future of education in southeast Wyoming, Lindsey says she鈥檒l always remember that 香蜜影视played a critical role in getting her to this point.
鈥淕oing to 香蜜影视is just what I needed to get rolling,鈥� she says. 鈥淣othing could be more fulfilling than having this career that I love.鈥�
Find out more about LCCC鈥檚 Education Program at lccc.wy.edu/education.