Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry

Benjamin Walker '09

• 2018 18 of the Last 9 Award Winner
• Math Teacher for Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago
• Educator with a social start-up called the Academy Group
• 2015 Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction Award Winner

“And I'm just so excited to tell other people about Miami. To me, it seems they’re on the forefront of this move in education to make it be about relationships, about social emotional well-being, and about identity in a way that I think it really needs to be.”

Robin Beavers ‘12

• Principal of Garfield Middle School in Lakewood, Ohio
• 2018-2019 Lakewood Educator of the Year
• Founder of a girl empowerment mentorship program called G.E.M.S.
• 2019 18 of the Last 9 honorees

“When we talk about different careers, and the different experiences that students may have as the world changes, they have to be ready to move with the world. That's what we're preparing them for. Miami University certainly did that for me. It’s about teaching them to be critical thinkers, and to utilize communication skills, to collaborate with the people around them, and not to be afraid to explore the world.”

Megan Cremeans ’20

• AYA social studies education major
• A student member of the Miami University Board of Trustees

“I have tons of options, which is really exciting. I've been thrilled to tell people I'm really confident in my Miami education. You could put me anywhere and I think I could do it based on my experiences, and my academic preparation. I have the skills to succeed in the workforce no matter what that is.”

Alli Huff ‘18 and '20

• Teacher, Riverview Elementary School (Hamilton, Ohio)
• Early Childhood Education, M.Ed. Transformative Education

"My time in the education program at Miami changed my future not only as a teacher, but as a person. It pushed me to consider the world in new ways, apply critical thinking in all contexts, and understand the imperative of becoming a critically-conscious curriculum maker for social justice for my work with my students."

Rachel McMillian '09, '12 and '21

• Assistant Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and former Cincinnati Public Schools teacher
• B.A. Black World Studies, M.A.T. AYA Social Studies Education, Ph.D. Educational Leadership

"Miami's Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry not only challenged me to think critically about the world in which we live, but it fully prepared me to engage with my students in the fight against issues of social injustice."

Brian Schultz, Professor & Chair

Todd Edwards, Professor and AYA Program Coordinator

"There are many reasons to love the Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry at Miami University.  While some might cite our award-winning faculty, our innovative course offerings, or perhaps our technology resources, to me none of these compare to the quality of our students.  Each day, our middle and secondary level teacher candidates inspire me to be a better teacher---and, quite frankly, a better person.  Young people who are interested in teaching today do so because they have a calling to make this world a better place.  You can see it in the lessons that they create, in their interactions with young people, and in their conversations in McGuffey Hall.  I can honestly say that it's the students that keep me coming back to Miami, and it's their passion that inspires me to be the best teacher I can be."

Ganiva Reyes, Coordinator, Primary Education and Associate Professor

"The TCE Department at Miami has worked to center social justice and culturally sustaining practice. From reinventing course curriculum, to recruitment efforts of historically underrepresented students and faculty, to mentorship, and cross departmental collaboration, actions have been taken to make meaningful change."

Racheal Banda Rothrock, Literacy Committee Chair and Assistant Professor

"I am grateful to be a part of a department that seeks to humanize and address injustices in education."

Thomas Misco, Director of Graduate Studies and Professor

"In the words of John Dewey, “The discussion of a wide variety of opinion, unorthodox and orthodox, with an intelligent teacher in the classroom, is the best protection the schools can afford against our students being later misled by unscrupulous propagandists of one doctrine or another. It is surely better for our young people to face controversial issues in the open atmosphere of the schoolroom, than to seek out what is forbidden in some dark, unwholesome corner. No thought is so dangerous as a forbidden thought.” AYA social studies will help develop your capacity to be that intelligent teacher."

Lena Lee, Professor

"I love teaching the courses of early childhood education because the issues of early childhood closely resemble those of our lifetime and society as Erikson said. It is also always pleasant to see my students who approach those issues seriously, critically, and creatively."

Molly Sawyer, Director of Clinical Placements

"Student Teaching through Miami University provides the opportunity to experience teaching, learning, and community building."

Ann MacKenzie, Associate Professor

"TCE creates an equitable, innovative, and enthusiastic environment for students to become transformative teachers.   TCE ensures our teacher candidates embrace the qualities of exemplary teachers who see each student having unlimited potential and assists in unleashing their talents."

Robin Cooper, Visiting Assistant Professor

"I am grateful to be part of TCE at MU because I truly see the Threshold Concepts reflected in the work faculty, staff, and students do in the field and in collaboration with communities."

Martha Castañeda, Professor

"I appreciate and enjoy working with Miami students as we unpack the ways the U.S. can nurture and develop indigenous, immigrant, and new languages in PK-12 classrooms.  These efforts and discussions lead to teacher candidates who are able to effectively work with linguistically and culturally diverse populations."