July 27, 2023
BATON ROUGE, LA – On May 16, 2023, the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education held its very first Pinning Ceremony for teacher graduates. Developed by Margaret Piccoli, PhD, Coordinator of the Office of Professional Experiences, The Pinning Ceremony began this year, not only to welcome graduates into the teaching profession, but also to recognize their achievements and hard work during residency. At the beginning of the ceremony, Dr. Laura Choate, Director of the School of Education, honored the graduates and welcomed them into the profession. During the closing remarks, Em Cooper, Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Education for the Louisiana Department of Education, provided a personal story of her experience as a teacher to highlight the meaningful impact a teacher makes on their students’ lives. Cooper shared, "Louisiana is making great gains in education. You are needed in this profession and you are in the position to make an incredible impact in the lives of so many students." Students were presented with the Owl of Athena pin, which symbolizes the importance of education and its unyielding benefits. After the ceremony, students enjoyed refreshments, took photos, and wrote down advice for our future teacher candidates:
What advice do our graduates have for future teacher candidates?
"Be confident. Do silly things with the kids when you get the chance. They will remember that."
"Remember why you do this & believe you can."
"Relationship building with your students is step number 1."
"Ask other senior teachers for help."
"Pour into your kids and they will pour into you! They give you all the reason to keep going!"
Margaret Piccoli, PhD, Coordinator of the Office of Professional Experiences, said, “The teaching residency is a rigorous training where the students eventually assume the full responsibilities of their mentor teacher as well as complete residency assignments and performance observations. This ceremony was our small gesture to honor our students and the pivotal role they will hold in our community as educators. After the ceremony, both students and parents expressed their gratitude for the ceremony. I sincerely hope it becomes a School of Education tradition for years to come.” For the full photo gallery, click here.
About Lutrill and Pearl Payne LSU School of Education (SOE)
A school of the College of Human Sciences & Education, SOE is comprised of a diverse
array of 3 undergraduate programs (early childhood, elementary, and dually certified
special education/elementary education), 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree
program areas, 9 EdS certificate areas, and 11 PhD specialization areas. We focus
not only on preparing highly qualified Birth-Grade 12 teachers but also in preparing
educational leaders, curriculum studies scholars, educational technology experts,
applied researchers, higher education professionals, school counselors, and clinical
mental health counselors. In other words, we offer scholarly expertise regarding pressing
educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan. Visit the LSU Lutrill and Pearl Payne School of Education.
About LSU College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE)
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division
of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education,
the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development,
the School of Library & Information Science, the School of Social Work, and the University
Laboratory School. These combined schools offer 8 undergraduate degree programs, 18
graduate programs, and 7 online graduate degree and/or certificate programs, enrolling
more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,120 graduate students. The College is committed
to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is committed
to improving quality of life across the lifespan. Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education.
Latest College of Education News
- Louisiana A+ Schools Now Accepting Applications for the Fall 2025/2026 School YearLAA+ at LSU enables schools to integrate arts education into their curriculum. Learn more about this innovative arts education program and the 2025/2026 application.
- School of Education Faculty Host the Mandela Washington Fellows in New OrleansLSU was selected as an Institute Partner for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The Fellows engaged with Louisianians to establish meaningful professional networks in the state. During their recent trip to New Orleans, Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, PhD, a professor at the School of Education, hosted them at her home for a fish fry
- LSU Writing Project Participates in Place-Based Writing RetreatThe LSU Writing Project held its first place-based Invitational Summer Institute on Mallard Island in the Rainy Lake Watershed, north of International Falls, Minnesota. Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, PhD, director of the LSU Writing Project, received a grant from the Ernest Oberholtzer Foundation to host the week-long writing institute.
- Ellis Puts Scholarship First- $1.2M NSF Grant to Recruit and Prepare Future STEM TeachersAt the center of the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education is the desire to prepare LSU students to educate the young minds of Louisiana to ensure their future successes.Joshua Ellis, PhD, Associate Professor of Science/STEM Education in the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, is a member of an LSU faculty team that has been awarded a $1,187,387 grant from the National Science Foundation for the preparation of future STEM teachers.
- School of Education Professor Presents Research at Inaugural Joint National Council Teacher of English-National Council Teachers of Mathematics ConferenceLutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education Professor, Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, PhD, recently presented cutting-edge research on writing assessment at the Inaugural Joint National Council Teacher of English (NCTE)-National Council Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Conference held in New Orleans in late June, 2024. Both professional organizations collaborated to provide the opportunity for members from both associations to come together and share research and recommend practices in both disciplines, a first for these two premier professional entities.
- Louisiana A+ Schools at LSU and Arkansas A+ Schools Receive Grant from National Park Service to fund: Bridging the Blues! Connecting Music Heritage in Arkansas and Louisiana through A+.Louisiana A+ Schools (LAA+) at Louisiana State University (LSU), a program of the College of Human Sciences and Education, in partnership with Arkansas A+ Schools (ARA+) at University of Arkansas, a program of the College of Education and Health Professions, are proud to announce they have received a grant from the National Park Service (NPS). This grant is part of the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative (LMDI), aimed at supporting cultural heritage and educational projects in the Delta region.
