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For more information about Lynn s research and teaching, review her profile.

Lynn Gaddis: Reaching out to improve the teaching profession

By Matt Kurnick

"I believe in Illinois State. I believe in the quality of the teacher education programs and what we stand for in teacher excellence."—Lynn Gaddis on her commitment to Illinois State University

(February 3, 2008) After the ceremony, after the celebration, after the pictures and speeches, after Lynn Gaddis was named Illinois Teacher of the Year in 1995, she was asked in an interview what her message, as the teacher of the year, would be. She responded simply, and succinctly "Teaching and learning is fun."

In the following year, during her sabbatical, Gaddis made trips back to Illinois State University, the place she had earned her undergraduate and master's degree, and would later earn her doctorate. During her return there were more speeches and more photos. "[The University interviewer] wanted to take a picture of me and they took it by the motto at the library. I looked at the motto and read the words 'Gladly would he learn and gladly teach' and thought, wow, that is so engrained in me. 'Gladly do we learn and teach' is what I'm all about."

The award afforded Gaddis the opportunity to take advantage of a yearlong sabbatical. "I was asked 'if there was one thing I could do during my year off, what it would be?' I said I'd really like to raise the level of the teaching profession. That is what I believed. Not that the teachers weren't performing well. I wanted to do it with them." Part of her revelation led Gaddis to learn about the National Board Certification system. She found a new opportunity not only to improve the teaching profession but to also give recognition to thousands of teachers a year.

Since 1999, Gaddis has been the director of the National Board Resource Center (NBRC) at Illinois State, one of only five such centers in the nation. Her main focus as director has been reaching out to teachers who would like to work towards certification and providing them with the necessary resources. The process of becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) is the most "rigorous" certification for teachers available in the United States.

Because of the work Gaddis has done in collaboration with other NBCTs and the state government, teachers who have earned their Illinois Master Certificates are eligible for state funded stipends and are also compensated for mentoring other teachers, "There were three NBCTs, two others (Jeanne Serven and Penny Potter) and myself," Gaddis recalled. "Within two weeks we wrote a bill. We took pieces from similar bills from five other states that we wanted and just wrote it. At first I was a little afraid of it. I felt like it was an awesome responsibility. We had the support of Senator Maitland, Senator Watson and Representative Bassi. We had the backing of teacher unions, and the Illinois Business Roundtable—a lot of support. We ended up writing it with people from the National Board organization. I was a little afraid but felt supported. After we got into it, we had to do the best job we could. It passed unanimously through both houses. It was exciting seeing such widespread support."

Gaddis’s latest attempt at providing support has been through the NBRC's Web site. "The Web site is key to what we do because everything we produce, everything we do, we try to get up on the Web site so teachers can asynchronously work with the materials, whatever their reasons, context, or needs," Gaddis said. Gaddis has already begun to see the results of the work being done to get the NBRC's resources online.

"Last spring I was sitting in my office on a Saturday afternoon and I got a call from a woman who was in Maryland at the park with her kids," Gaddis remembered. "She was planning a pre-candidacy class and she was thinking about what she was going to do with the class. She called me to talk about what she had gotten off the Web site. I had never met the person. She wasn't a part of any network I belonged to. We talked for about half an hour and I never heard from her again. Then about two weeks ago (beginning of February 2008) I was at a meeting in Washington, D.C. with the National Board to present some new materials and she came up to me and said, 'Lynn, I'm the one who called from Maryland last year in the park.'" As unique as this story sounds, Gaddis says it is by no means rare. The NBRC Web site has provided opportunities for many teachers who want to become NBCTs and for NBCTs to mentor and support candidates.

Gaddis's next project is getting teachers to recognize the continuum that they enter when they get into the teaching profession. As they start the profession on one pole of the continuum as first year teachers, they can work towards National Board Certification in the middle of the continuum, and beyond to become a teacher leader and mentor. This process of creating teachers—quality teachers—is the base for Gaddis's attraction to Illinois State University.

Gaddis could have easily moved on from Illinois State after earning her bachelor's degree, but there is something deep inside of her that just won't allow her to move away.

"I could have gotten my degrees at other places," Gaddis said reflectively. "I travel with a lot of my work. I could have gone anywhere, but I honestly believe in Illinois State and I believe in what we're doing here." The things Gaddis has seen and been a part of during her 40-year association with Illinois State have cemented her belief in this institution and, in her mind, have separated it from other universities.

"It's my belief in Illinois State University, and what we do to produce teachers. We aren't sending out people who just follow text books," Gaddis boasted. "We are producing teachers who are thoughtful, analytical, reflective practitioners, who look at kids and are trying to make good decisions for the kids, not just trying to complete tasks. That's why I'm at Illinois State. I believe in Illinois State. I believe in the quality of the teacher education programs and what we stand for in teacher excellence."