Allie Spencer
OXFORD, Miss. – For Allie Spencer, a recent elementary education graduate of the University of Mississippi, teaching is a family tradition.
“I come from a long line of teachers,” said Spencer, a New Albany native. “My mother’s a teacher, my grandmother was a teacher – I’ve always wanted to work with children.”
As the UM School of Education’s Student of the Month for May, the third-generation teacher was nominated for her outstanding student teaching at Lafayette Upper Elementary School, where she spent the last year working with nearly 50 fifth-graders.
“She has the heart and skill of a great teacher,” said Susan McClelland, interim chair of curriculum and instruction, who nominated Spencer for the honor. “She cares deeply for her students, and it’s evidenced by the way she interacts with them personally and by her high academic standards for them. Allie will make a difference in the lives of children.”
In recognition of her student teaching, Spencer received the Ann Tucker Purcell Excellence in Elementary Education Award during the School of Education’s Awards Day.
Lane Gauthier, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, served as her practicum supervisor and was the faculty member who nominated Spencer for the Purcell award.
“She’s uncommonly advanced in the classroom,” Gauthier said. “There are so many components to her teaching style. She’s confident and calm and can direct the behavior of students. Her lessons are always put together like she’d been teaching for years.”
During Spencer’s last day of student teaching on May 11, McClelland and other education professors surprised her during lunch to present her with the award.
“I was really surprised,” Spencer said. “It’s nice to be recognized for something I care so much about. My professors have really supported me every step of the way.”
Unlike many 22-year-olds, Spencer has her career ambition pegged down: to become a master teacher. While Spencer hopes to find a job as an elementary teacher in north Mississippi, she’s been accepted into the School of Education’s master’s in elementary education degree program.
“Every day, I try to make an impact,” Spencer said. “Seeing that light bulb go off in a child’s eyes when he learns something new is amazing to me. It’s great when you can make a child want to learn. On my last day of student teaching, a student asked if he could give me a hug before I left. I knew that I’d reached this kid.”
For more information on the UM School of Education, go to http://education.olemiss.edu/.