2024年4月17日
作者:Georgia McGonigle，通讯助理
在教育领域工作了27年, 买球app alumnus 凯文·皮特 has returned to his roots as the director of Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families.
Pitts – who has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in administration and a specialist’s degree in superintendency, all from Northwest – retired last May from Maryville Middle School after serving as its principal for 19 years.
When Pitts learned about the opportunity to direct Horace Mann and the Leet Center on the Northwest campus, where he completed his practice teaching as a student 30 years ago, 他退休后当教育工作者的计划改变了.
我开始思考, ‘This would be my first fall not going back to kids and teachers and all that goes with it,’”皮茨说. “The opportunity came up out here and I interviewed, so it was kind of like a full circle moment.”
现在, as Pitts concludes his first academic year as director of Horace Mann and the Leet Center, he describes being back in the building “like walking back in time.”
凯文·皮特, a Northwest alumnus who has worked in education for 27 years including 19 years as principal at Maryville Middle School, is completing his first year as director of Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families. (Photos by Lauren Adams/买球app)
“当你离开这里去别的地方的时候, 你买他们的东西，并创造自己的作为一个领导者,皮茨说. “And then to come back and see that some of the things are still the same, 很多事情都是不同的, 太, 有充分的理由.”
Horace Mann and the Leet Center serve children at ages 12 months through sixth grade and provides hands-on, project-based learning with an individualized approach with small class sizes and multiple teachers. While master teachers provide a unique learning environment for all students that includes innovative best practices and exemplary educational experiences, Horace Mann and Leet Center also serve as valuable clinical teaching settings for Northwest students training to become professional educators, 就像皮茨那样.
After spending almost two decades as the principal of a different school, Pitts has had to familiarize himself with an entirely new structure.
Horace Mann and the Leet Center serve children at ages 12 months through sixth grade. 同时提供亲身体验, 儿童小班项目式学习, the school also serve as valuable clinical teaching environment for Northwest students training to become professional educators.
“Having a school on a university campus is a very unique situation, so there’s just been a lot of learning the system and the resources,皮茨说. “It’s been good for my brain; there’s been a lot of fresh information. 每个人都对我很好，很有耐心, 因为我不再是一只年轻的狗了, 而且我要花更长的时间来学习新技巧.”
皮茨即将完成他作为导演的第一学年, he continues to develop new ideas to promote growth and learning for students with a specific focus on building leadership skills.
“我总是在寻找东西，”皮茨说. “I want to try and instill some more leadership in our kids and create an environment that allows them to do some more leadership things.”
Pitts received his bachelor’s degree in education from Northwest in 1995 and began working as a paraprofessional at the former Washington Middle School in Maryville, where he 太k on a fifth-grade teaching position soon after.
He was hired as the principal of South Harrison Elementary School in Bethany, 密苏里州, 三年后. He earned his master’s degree in education from Northwest in 2000 and then accepted the role of assistant principal at Maryville Middle School in 2001. After two years in that position, Pitts was promoted to principal.
他在玛丽维尔R-II学区的时候, 皮茨取得了许多事业上的成功, including obtaining an education specialist degree in 2011 from Northwest. In 2016, he received the Northwest Regional Distinguished Principal Award, presented by the 密苏里州 Association of Elementary School Principals, for his dedication to implementing “Leader in Me” curriculum at Maryville Middle School.
Pitts credits much of his success as an educator to the Northwest community. Being an alumnus of the University, he has always felt a strong connection with the 教育学院. He has taken advantage of many opportunities to stay involved with the teacher training program, including by speaking to Northwest students and serving on advisory committees, which he believes is a testament to the longstanding connection the University provides its alumni.
“It’s been a blessing, and it’s just a good University,皮茨说.
皮茨扮演了《买球app》的导演, he remains grateful for the patience and support from the Northwest community and hopes to continue fostering a positive experience for students.
“我只想创造最好的, 最安全的环境，让买球app的孩子做自己, have appreciation for individuals and make leaders out of everyone,皮茨说.
