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Learning Through Play

Early childhood education lecturer earns 2023 Outstanding Teaching Award

Singing, dancing and yoga are not typical college classroom activities. At least not all in one class. But for Jenny Lampe, lecturer in 5X社区鈥檚 Early Childhood Education Program, it鈥檚 important for her students to experience the full preschool education with all of these activities, plus expected activities like reading children鈥檚 books.  

Teaching by example, just like in preschool, is Lampe鈥檚 classroom philosophy. 

Lampe Teaching

鈥淚n our classes, we talk about experiential knowledge, we learn by doing. For children, they learn by play,鈥 Lampe said. 鈥淚 incorporate elements of play, so we can share in the experiences, but I try to find a balance of engaging conversation about the things we鈥檙e reading and learning.鈥  

Play is an integral part of Lampe鈥檚 classroom. Teaching her students songs, science experiments or a new craft they can do in the field can help them connect with their future students.  

鈥淢y hope that whether it鈥檚 a preschool classroom or an undergraduate classroom at Kent State, we鈥檙e finding the joy in learning and doing so through play.鈥  

Lampe also coordinates and oversees students' hands-on work in preschool classrooms.  

鈥淲e start every class with gathering meetings,鈥 Lampe said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to me as the field coordinator to take time for students to share what I refer to as their joys, challenges and in-betweens. We share and workshop the joys, challenges and in-betweens as a community and come up with ways to support each other. It鈥檚 important to me that the students know that I support them. When I say at the end of my email, I鈥檓 always here to support, I do mean it, and I try to show them.鈥 

Lampe鈥檚 dedication and endless efforts to support her students in authentic ways led to her being nominated for, and receiving, the 2023 Outstanding Teaching Award.  

Lampe being awarded

鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge honor,鈥 Lampe said. 鈥淣ot only for me, but I want everyone to recognize that I wouldn鈥檛 be here without them. I wouldn鈥檛 be here without my colleagues and my students.鈥  

The Outstanding Teaching Award is the highest teaching award for full-time, non-tenure track and part-time faculty members who are nominated by their students for being among the most dedicated, highly effective and motivated professors at Kent State.  

鈥淭here are many reasons that Jenny deserves this award,鈥 said an early childhood education major Athena Demetri. 鈥淪he is a kindhearted and caring person. She treats her students as colleagues, not as people less than her. She knows how to teach in ways that keep you interested and always gives ideas or advice for us future teachers to use in our classrooms. She is an amazing woman, who is so dedicated to her profession.鈥  

Jenny Lampe Receives Outstanding Teaching Award at UTC Conference

Student nominators also reflected on Lampe鈥檚 positive energy and motivation.  

鈥淛enny Lampe has been the most supportive professor I've met. She has had such an impact on my life and I'm so thankful to have her as a professor and mentor,鈥 a student nominator wrote. 鈥淪he genuinely understands the chaotic life of a college student and she wants us all to succeed. Her motivation and kindness is unmatched from any other professor I've had.鈥  

Lampe鈥檚 overall goal is for her students to find their joy and love of learning.   

鈥淢y students surprise and inspire me. I truly love what I do, and a large part is because of them,鈥 Lampe said.  

Lampe was honored Friday, Oct. 20, along with other recipients of the Outstanding Teaching Awards and Distinguished Teaching Awards at the University Teaching Council Conference.  

Learn more about the Outstanding Teaching Award.

Learn more about the Early Childhood Education Program. 

Photo credit: Classroom photos by Hannah Park

POSTED: Thursday, November 16, 2023 04:36 PM
Updated: Tuesday, November 21, 2023 03:19 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Cassidy Grentz, Flash Communications