NCE's 2022 Golden Apple Winners!
National Louis University’s National College of Education is proud to consistently see our graduates (over 75 at this juncture) receive the prestigious Golden Apple Award. They are recognized and honored by their district and community at large for their outstanding teaching abilities.
The Golden Apple process involves a teacher getting nominated, filling out an application, gather letters of recommendation, and submitting a school schedule. There are 20 finalists who then undergo three weeks of observation and an interview.
This year, three of our graduates were awardees: Rebecca Perry, ‘14 M.E.d. Curriculum & Instruction, and Kelli Houghton, ‘05 M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction, Robert Davis, ‘06 M.A.T. Secondary Education.
Get to know more about two of this year’s NCE Golden Apple Awardees below:
NCE: Describe your school/classroom: how long have you been there?
Rebecca Perry: This is my eleventh year teaching 8th grade science at Belvidere South Middle School in Belvidere, Illinois. The Belvidere School District supports 7,500 students with 800 of those students attending Belvidere South Middle.
Kelli Houghton: Prairie Hill School district is a small district that encompasses two buildings: Prairie Hill Elementary grades PreK-4 and Willowbrook Middle School grades 5-8. I have called Prairie Hill School District my home for 20 years and have taught 6th-8th Literature the entire time.
NCE: What inspired you to pursue teaching?
Rebecca Perry: I have always wanted to be a teacher. I love to learn and help others, so naturally teaching is a great fit for me. I have been blessed with incredibly caring teachers throughout my life who have inspired me to support my students like they have supported me.
Kelli Houghton: Teaching has always been a passion of mine. Watching kids step outside their comfort zones, witnessing a learning epiphany, watching a student make real life connections to literature, and more importantly raising kids to be kind quality citizens is what I get paid to do.
NCE: Describe receiving your Golden Apple Award. How did you find out?
Rebecca Perry: Both my students and I were completely surprised and excited when 20+ people in my school barged into the classroom to present me with the award. I teach five sections of science, so the four other classes were disappointed they did not get to see me receive the award, especially the classes that were involved in the observations. It was sweet to see how much the award meant to my students and I’m honored to have received this award too.
Kelli Houghton: The Golden Apple Academy and news anchors surprised me with an award at 8:00 a.m on March 10. It was quite a memorable moment, as 65+ people walked through the doors of my school. I would describe my initial reaction as overwhelmed, yet I was featured pumping my arms into the air with excitement on live television. It was so wonderful to see my family, my former colleagues, my current team, and past administration take time out of their day to help celebrate the win!
NCE: How did you choose National Louis as your university?
Rebecca Perry: NLU offered a Saturday cohort focusing on ESL instruction, which drew me to the program. Many of my colleagues commented on their positive experiences with NLU which resulted in my enrollment too. I appreciated that my ESL endorsement was full of practical applications that I could immediately begin utilizing in the classroom to support all of my students.
Kelli Houghton: I chose NLU for my Master’s Degree because it offered a variety of programs that helped enhance my career as a teacher. NLU is extremely accommodating to the teacher’s work schedule and has polished professors who challenged our thinking with cutting edge topics. Overall, the NLU program was a time I recall experiencing extreme growth as a teacher.
NCE: What are some challenges for teachers today?
Rebecca Perry: Teachers have always had challenges with varying academic levels as well as behavioral concerns. Since the pandemic, the number of students with academic and behavioral needs have drastically increased. The demands to meet student needs with limited time and resources can become overwhelming, but being there for the students is what keeps me in the classroom.
Kelli Houghton: Teachers are challenged daily with balancing the many needs of the students. Education has evolved from a “one size fits all” model to requiring a more diverse and equitable understanding. Because educators are built with such strong compassion for their students, the job doesn’t stop when the school bell rings; it often follows you home. Again, the biggest challenge teacher’s face today is finding that perfect balance.
NCE: What advice do you have for aspiring educators?
Rebecca Perry: As a new teacher, be kind to yourself and focus on the good in each student and each day. Teaching can be incredibly isolating even though you are surrounded by students all day. Find your teaching community to help support you. You have to take care of yourself to be able to support your students.
Kelli Houghton: Teachers need to be extremely flexible, as the profession, the lesson, and/or the presentation doesn’t always go the way you planned it. Be open to collaboration because teaching is all about sharing and exchanging ideas to achieve a common goal. Never stop learning, practice what you preach!
