Ask 2010 MS Ed graduate Ben Bain what makes his work as principal and teacher at St. John’s in Red Wing, MN, special, and he’s likely to say, “The people I get to work with really make this a special place, and that’s been a real privilege.”

In fact, the congregation, parents and faculty have supported his graduate studies in various ways. The congregation helped pay for some of his credits. Ben adds, “People have said things to me like, ‘It’s good that you’re doing that.’”

When Ben received his diploma in May 2010, the people he serves celebrated with him. The congregation honored Ben with a reception. In a separate party his pastor, faculty, and staff held a “mock” graduation ceremony. “The party was a bit crazy,” wrote Ben. The pictures show Pastor Loren Lucht in his “regalia” awarding Ben (dunce cap) while the faculty looks on.

Why did Ben choose to get his master’s degree? “I just felt like there was so much more to learn.” He asked himself, “How do I hone those skills? What do I need to do to better help the kids learn?” Ben enrolled in the MLC master’s program in the instruction emphasis.

Ben found that the MLC master’s program helped him reach his goals right away. “One of the first courses I took was about Reading and Language Arts. When I came back, I began to use a number of pieces. There were things that I had tried in the past that didn’t work out, and now I felt more comfortable on how I can approach it so that I’m not cheating the kids of certain things. And yet I’m giving them the opportunity to grow and learn.”

Ben likes to give his students ownership in the curriculum. He related a Science unit on natural disasters in which the students devised their questions and got to pick what they wanted to learn. Ben taught them how to research, cite references and structure their learning. They did the rest and shared what they learned in power point presentations. Why? “They’re finding more information than what there was in the book in the first place, and they’re more interested in it than just, ‘read this chapter in the book,’” says Ben.

This past summer, the enrollment at Ben’s school took a jump. Its reputation for Christian love and academics is well-known, and when a different Christian school closed, many looked to St. John’s. Ben and his school serve as an excellent example of what continuing education for teachers is all about.

July 8, 2010, was an important day for Rachel Perry Burgess ’02. She handed her comprehensive examination to Director of Graduate Studies John Meyer, marking the culmination of her graduate work at Martin Luther College.

Emphasis: Of the three emphases—instruction, special education, and leadership—Rachel opted for leadership because the classes seemed most applicable for her work as an ECE director. She says she didn’t necessarily start out trying to get a degree, but just wanted to take courses that were interesting and practical. (Cognitive psychology is just one of the courses she really loved.) When she realized she was well on her way to her degree, she decided to finish the program.

Her call: Rachel is currently the director of an ECE at Trinity-Caledonia WI, where she teaches children ages 3-5 five mornings a week. Previously, she served in ECE ministries in Baton Rouge LA, La Crescent MN, and Inver Grove Heights MN; as a kindergarten teacher in West Allis WI; and as director of a KinderCare Learning Center in Brookfield WI. (Why so many places? As the wife of a seminary student and new pastor, she moved quite a bit.)

Flexibility: The flexibility provided by the online facet of the program was important to Rachel. “I knew I’d be moving three years in a row, so it was good to have it online, because I could do it anywhere. It was nice to be able to work on Saturdays. My husband is a pastor, so he’s busy on Saturdays, and I could set my schedule according to his. Also, if we were planning a camping trip, I could work ahead. I also worked at the YMCA till 10 pm, and I could work online after that or early in the morning.”

Community: She also appreciated the online community. “Almost every course starts with introducing yourself. Profs make sure that everyone is communicating and working together. And most students had a WaterCooler line on Moodle, which is for more personal things: carpools, recipes, baby news, calls, that sort of thing.”

Applicability: “The projects weren’t just assignments. They were applicable right away. And most of the profs were open to you tweaking the assignments to make sure that they fit your situation.

“My courses on assessment and administration were directly applicable. I immediately made small changes in my class the very next day, and now that I’m done with the program, I want to go back through my notes and see what I want to implement first. There are so many things, but which do I want to do first?”

Variety: Some may wonder whether coming back to MLC means they’ll just get more of the same. Rachel says, “No! I only had one of these profs before—Dr. Menk. Everything changes. You have a variety of people with different pasts, including profs from WLC and profs who’d never even set foot on the MLC campus before. There’s a variety of new methods and perspectives—and even the content is different. The profs are not teaching the same thing you learned in undergrad work.”

Rigor: “People who’ve taken courses elsewhere say that MLC courses are harder, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I didn’t feel overworked, but I did have to work. It stretched me, and there were times when it was a lot, but it is a master’s program.”

Professional growth: “The biggest change in my ministry would be that I have a better communication system with the families and communities I serve. Open-ended communication with parents affects so many things. I’ve also found that parents are looking for their children’s teachers to be seeking more education.

I’m an ECE director, but I don’t have any children, which is a stumbling block for some parents. So for me to be able to tell parents that I have my master’s degree—that’s a marketing tool. Parents are looking at the teacher’s education and the school’s accreditation. It gives credibility.”

First MLC “Master”

Aaron Hartwig was the first student to enroll in MLC’s Master of Science in Education program. A decade later, we caught up with him. Did the degree make a difference in his ministry?

Two brothers with learning disabilities were Sheila Jones Krause’s inspiration. “Working with children who struggle in school in a WELS setting has always been my dream,” she says. As the extended learning teacher at David’s Star, Jackson WI, she does just that, teaching children with learning difficulties and disabilities, as well as teaching grade 7-8 English.

Sheila loves working with God’s children at David’s Star. “The challenge is to find what works for each student, since they are all unique. Each lesson is designed to fit the student’s academic level and learning style, to strengthen their weaknesses, and to teach them the tools that they need to become independent learners. I spend time getting to know each student—inside and outside school. I want the students to know that I am there for them as an advocate with their teachers and parents.”

It takes a lot of time, she says, “but the joys of what I do outweigh the challenges! The joy is when they have achieved something that they have never been able to do before, no matter how small. We celebrate all successes! The joy is there when I see them move on to high school and see them succeed there, too.”

In 2006, Sheila decided to expand her knowledge base by enrolling in MLC’s Master of Science in Education program with an emphasis in special education. “I wanted to be more knowledgeable in finding ways to help my students,” she says. “I wanted to be better prepared for my students’ IEPs with the public school and learn how to work more closely with our public school pupil services departments. I wanted to learn more about different types of disabilities, different types of assessments, and how to write a plan for my students.”

Did MLC’s program meet her needs? Absolutely. “I believe that I am a better teacher because of the classes that I took,” she says. “I have a better understanding of the different types of disabilities and am more confident in working with these students. I have also noticed that the public school district respects what I do at David’s Star due to my master’s degree. I have built a wonderful working relationship with the public school district. Because of that relationship, they are willing to share ideas and programs that work for them and help me use these ideas and programs at David’s Star.”

Sheila spent three years in the program, continuing to teach while doing her own homework—and squeezing in her other interests, reading and stamping. She finished in May 2009.

Looking back, she would highly recommend the program to other WELS teachers. “Being able to choose the classes that best fit your call, the flexibility of completing the lessons and assignments online, and the working relationship with other called workers and the MLC graduate professors are why I recommend MLC’s Master’s program,” she says.

“I liked being able to take classes online while I was teaching,” she continues. “I could set my own schedule, and I was able to choose the classes that best fit the needs of my call. There were so many choices that it was difficult at times to choose one class.

“Many of the assignments were practical,” she adds. “I was also able to have my students participate in some of the projects that I developed. It improved my relationship with both the parents and the students. They were able to see that I was actively trying to help them do better in school. They also liked the fact that their teacher had homework to do, too. I enjoyed the interaction with the other teachers who were taking the class and with the professors. The professors were all very knowledgeable in their area and were eager and willing to share that with all of us. And I know that I can still stay in touch with these professors and continue to ask them questions.”

Jeff Loberger (MLC 2003, MLC MS 2012) believes that good schools begin with good leaders.

As a leader at Good Shepherd-Omaha, he wears a number of leadership hats, but, interestingly, not one of them says “Classroom Teacher.”

“I spend my day as principal of our school, development director of our building program, and member ministry director of our congregation,” he explains.

It’s an unconventional, forward-thinking calling that Jeff’s congregation has given him, but then again, Good Shepherd-Omaha is a forward-thinking congregation. And God has certainly blessed their efforts. In Jeff’s first two years there, the school has grown from 68 to 101 students. When some other WELS schools are closing due to low enrollments, Good Shepherd is turning students away due to lack of space—thus, the vision for the addition of classroom and office space, along with updated bathrooms, additional parking, and, further down the road, a new sanctuary.

“We are praying this building project will help us to add more families in our school and church family, thus exposing many more to this wonderful peace we have through God’s Word,” Jeff says.

To accommodate the growth, the faculty of five teachers, which, in 2008, many thought might need to be reduced to four, has now grown to 7.5.

As one of the 7-1/2 teachers, Jeff has the most varied daily schedule. “Every day is different,” he says. “There are days where I am down at city hall filling out documents for waivers and applications for leased parking. The next day, I will be working with various members, discussing gifts and amending wills to give a gift to our building program. The next will be handling discipline of a child or observing one of our classrooms. Sometimes, I get a little of all three of these during the day.”

With so many avenues for leadership, it was important to Jeff that he become the best leader he could be. “If I could learn to become a better leader and visionary for my school, this would greatly benefit the children attending our school. Also, I would hopefully be a better resource for my faculty to come to in times of need. Finally, with greater vision and climate in the school, we would become more of an option for our community families when they look to enroll in quality schools.”

In 2008, while he was serving in Salt Lake City, the desire to be a better leader led him to begin his master’s coursework with a leadership emphasis. He notes that the WELSSA accreditation process and the encouragement of the Salt Lake City congregation were catalysts as well. He will finish the program in 2012 or, if he completes a second emphasis, in 2013.

He says the program has made a dramatic impact: “This program has completely changed who I am and how I operate. I have been a principal for eight years. Since enrolling in this program, I have learned so many practical things to help with time management to classroom observation to curriculum mapping to handling issues with families. These benefits are seen by my wife, who has been by my side the whole way through. She can see the confidence in my way of running and handling school issues.”

Jeff began his ministry as an emergency teacher at Nebraska Lutheran High School (2001-2002). He taught at Immanuel-Hadar NE (2003-2006) and Prince of Peace-Salt Lake City (2006-2008) before being called to Good Shepherd. In his spare time, he enjoys playing men’s league basketball, camping, watching a good comedy, reading nonfiction books about World War II, and spending time with his wife and children.

He humbly admits that he has the gift of gab—and lots of opportunities to use that gift in his many leadership roles. “God has given me the ability to talk! I have no problem talking to anyone, anywhere about our school and church. I get to talk with community families, sharing with them the opportunities they could have attending a parochial school where Jesus is the center of everything we do. I get to help people understand the blessing of giving to church (particularly the building program) and the opportunities this giving will have on our ministry of being able to reach many more people who need to hear the Word. I get the privilege of helping current members find something they want to do to help grow the ministry. I get to see the smiles on their faces during times where they now feel part of what we do here.”

Finally, Jeff notes that leadership is tied to ministry. And ministry is ultimately about souls. “Everyone who is privileged to serve in the public ministry is in it for the souls we serve each day. As we serve, we need to remember we can best serve if we keep up with the changes in standards and techniques that are unique to each generation. As we continue to improve in our methods and strategies as teachers, we will ultimately be improving the output of the children and families we serve.”

And of the many blessings God has bestowed on Good Shepherd-Omaha, Jeff humbly says, “It makes me realize that the Lord can use someone like myself for the benefit of his kingdom. ”

(Article written by Laurie Gauger)