Ashley Churchill ’24 was six weeks into her student teaching placement when a local school partner reached out to the College of Education (COE) with a need for an additional teacher due to high enrollment numbers.

When Churchill was given the opportunity to apply for the role, she found herself at a crossroads. This position meant stepping in as a full-time staff member. She knew she needed the qualifications to manage a classroom all by herself and had to decide if she was ready.

“It was a hard decision, but the education I’ve gotten from Butler has made me feel so much more prepared than I could have ever imagined.” Churchill says. “I felt like I was ready for that next step.”

Churchill interviewed for the position and was hired to teach third grade at IPS/Butler Lab School #55. Butler’s COE partners with local school districts and youth serving organizations, many of which are staffed by a significant number of Butler alumni. To the COE, her role is considered a residency: an opportunity extended to student candidates who meet a certain criteria. But in the eyes of her students and fellow staff, she is a full-fledged teacher.

“She is lauded by her peers, her University Supervisor, and building level colleagues for her professionalism and care for her students,” says Angela Mager ’92, MS ’01, Senior Lecturer and COE Assistant Dean. “We learned recently that many of her colleagues don’t even realize that she is still a student—they just view her as an outstanding member of their team.”

The COE strives to find creative solutions to address the national teacher shortage while also ensuring students are supported in their student teaching and residency placements. Students like Churchill are able to work as paid employees as resident teachers while also receiving observation and mentorship.

Churchill is grateful she accepted the opportunity because she has enjoyed the freedom to experience and experiment in her own classroom, communicate with students’ families, and continue receiving regular support from her University supervisors.

“I feel like I’ve gotten the experience of being a first-year teacher without the pressure of being a first-year teacher,” Churchill says. “This residency has helped me excel in my teaching abilities as well as in my growth as a person because of the support I have from Butler and from my school.”

When Churchill recalls her coursework at Butler, she thinks of all the ways she uses what she learned from her professors in the real world. She remembers math games she learned from Dr. Ryan Flessner ’97, and she uses versions of those games for her third-graders. Dr. Catherine Pangan’s MS ’99 emphasis on experiential learning inspired her to do a handson unit themed around the solar eclipse, letting students build crafts and play with flashlights to understand the material. She said she uses teaching strategies taught by Dr. Theresa Meyer in her classroom every day.

One of Churchill’s colleagues, Brittany Shackleford ’11, has also been instrumental in her development as a teacher. Churchill decided to remain in Indianapolis to continue working with Shackleford and IPS/Butler Lab School #55 after graduation.

“I adore Brittany and I’ve learned more from her than I ever thought possible,” Churchill says. “She has helped shape me into the educator I want to be and I want to keep learning from her, so I decided I love the school, I love the City of Indianapolis, and I accepted to stay in the position I’m in now.”

Churchill emphasizes that her time at Butler has been powerful for her and the COE set her up for success. She says she has her professors to thank for why she can do the things she’s doing now and feels grateful she feels so prepared to pursue her dream of being an educator.

Churchill received the Outstanding Elementary Student Teacher Award from the COE this spring.

“My first grade teacher inspired me to become the kind educator that makes everybody feel welcomed,” Churchill says. “I knew I wanted to change the world in some way… to shape the younger generation and develop future leaders. Teaching feels like my way in.”