Recent graduates Delaney Galpin and Megan Sloan, of the Newman Univeristy Western Kansas Center, received a 2018 “Teachers of Promise” award.
Galpin and Sloan are December 2018 graduates of Newman University who have just begun their careers as educators. Both are working as fifth-grade teachers at Abe Hubert Elementary School in Garden City, Kansas, where they recently completed their student teaching.
The two were nominated by professors and adjunct professors for the outreach education program and recognized through the Kansas State Department of Education.
The award allows them to participate in professional learning and recognition opportunities. The awards ceremony was held in Wichita, Kansas, in conjunction with the Kansas Teacher of the Year ceremony on Nov. 17, 2018.
(Left to Right) Tiffany Webster, administrative assistant; Jessica Bird, assistant dean for outreach programs; Delaney Galpin; and Mallory Arellano, professor of education
Galpin obtained her Bachelor of Science in elementary education because of her passion for working with children and helping them learn and grow.
She found her passion for teaching through her position as a paraprofessional working one-on-one with a child with autism.
“I built such a strong relationship with him and learned more from him than I think he did from me,” she said. “This is when I realized what building a relationship can do for you and for the students.”
Jessica Bird, assistant dean of the outreach center, took notice of Galpin’s efforts. She said, “Delaney stood out because she instantly built relationships with her students and utilized all of the right techniques to set the classroom up for challenging and engaging lessons.
“I believe Delaney was nominated for the Teacher of Promise because of her dedication to the profession and her innovative use of technology in the classroom. Delaney continues to work tirelessly to be the best teacher she can be. She is a highly involved young teacher who is willing to go above and beyond for her students. She continuously seeks new ways to teach and utilizes the resources the district provides her.”
Galpin said she was shocked to be nominated and chosen for the award. “I was also excited to share it with my fifth grade team-teacher that was also advanced student teaching. All the hard work is starting to pay off,” she said.
As she embarks on her journey as an educator, Galpin said, “I am most looking forward to watching my students grow. I hope to bring them a place where they will always want to come back to and visit. I look forward to bringing in more new ideas that I have learned from my co-teachers and mentors.”
Galpin attended Newman University due to the convenience of location and flexibility of the program which allowed her to work as a paraprofessional during the day and take classes in the evening.
“It helped so much that some of the teachers (at Newman) were from within the district I was working in and wanting to get a future teaching job in. We were able to learn exact examples from our own school district and their curriculum.”
As for Sloan, the nomination was a surprise. “I was honestly speechless, and so honored to be chosen,” she said.
Bird said, “Megan stood out in the classroom because of her heart and desire to make a positive impact on students. I believe Megan was nominated for this award because of her willingness to learn in and out of the classroom as well as her passion for teaching. She has always known she wanted to be a teacher and it shows. She has the drive to succeed and is willing to find ways to be an effective teacher. She is a zealous young teacher who has an unwavering dedication to the profession.”
Sloan has always had a passion for teaching. “Helping kids is what I strive for and it gives me the best feeling in the world,” she said. “My teachers along the way helped encourage and inspire me.”
The education program at Newman was a perfect fit for Sloan. “One of the main reasons I chose Newman is all the positive comments I got about the college. Anyone I talked to raved about Newman and their education program. Another reason I choose Newman is because they offer an outreach program and I was able to stay right at home, continue to go to work and get my degree all at the same time.”
Her favorite part of teaching are those “lightbulb” moments when a student suddenly understands the lesson. She, like Galpin, is now officially working as a teacher in the same classroom in which she student-taught last semester. They said watching the same group of students grow throughout the year has been incredible for them both.
