MVNU’s Education Department honors outstanding mentor teacher

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — In the spirit of Teacher Appreciation Week last May, Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Education Department asked senior level student teachers to nominate a mentor teacher for the second annual Mentor Teacher of the Year 2024 award. Out of MVNU’s 62 mentor teachers across the central Ohio region, one teacher stood out among the rest.

Mable Purdy, Intervention Specialist from C.E. Budd Elementary School in Loudonville, Ohio, was selected for the award after being nominated by April Eickhoff, an MVNU senior-level student teacher.

“The Education Department at MVNU is always looking for ways to convey our sincere appreciation to our partner school districts and mentor teachers,” said Dr. Elizabeth Napier, MVNU’s Associate Professor of Education and Student Teaching Instructor for traditional students. “When a mentor teacher accepts a student teacher from MVNU, he or she is agreeing to additional responsibilities beyond the scope of their regular classroom duties. We believe it’s so important to recognize the mentor teachers that have gone above and beyond to positively impact the future of our profession.”

Purdy was honored at a surprise school-wide assembly, during which Eickhoff read her nomination letter and helped present the award.

“Mrs. Purdy has helped me learn and grow in so many ways throughout my time with her, from both the good and bad experiences in the classroom, as well as in discussions about the teaching profession and how to solve issues we are seeing in our school,” said Eickhoff. “She has treated me like a colleague from the moment I stepped into her classroom, giving me each and every opportunity to teach her students, co-teach with other classroom teachers, and learn from her as well.”

Eickhoff talked about the encouragement that Purdy gave her, allowing her to solo teach starting in her second week and offering additional support as needed. Purdy constantly gave her positive and constructive feedback.

“My mentor teacher has helped me to view myself as the confident and capable educator she sees in the classroom, encouraging me as I continue to learn and grow with each day,” Eickhoff said. “She takes on so many roles in our building and has allowed me to join her in those meetings to see deeper into what goes on behind-the-scenes in education and with administration. Her passion for this profession and her love for her students, and sharing that with me, has made my student teaching an amazing experience and one I am going to miss so much when I leave.

“Our conversations about this profession and what we see in our building have helped me to be a better advocate for the teaching profession, and I feel so much more confident about what I have been called to do as a teacher. So many people in our building rely on her for so many different things, and I admire what she does for her students and her building.”

C.E. Budd Elementary School Principal Kelly Seboe spoke highly of Purdy and her hard work and dedication to teaching young minds.

“Mrs. Purdy is a true champion for the students under her care,” Seboe said. “She is a master teacher who builds relationships with her families.”

Napier added her thoughts on how a great mentor can make all the difference for aspiring student teachers.

“A high-quality mentor teacher can significantly affect the success of a student teacher,” said Napier. “The mentor teacher demonstrates best practices in the classroom and eventually allows the student teacher to assume full classroom teaching responsibilities under their supervision. Without the support of a strong mentor teacher, the student teacher may not have the opportunity to experience the same level of success.”

For more on MVNU’s education degrees, visit mvnu.edu/majors.