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Northern Illinois University

College of Education

 

College of Education
Northern Illinois University
Graham Hall
DeKalb, IL 60115
Phone: (815) 753-1948
Fax: (815) 753-2100
cedu@niu.edu

 

NIU Remembers ribbon

Parker Receives Alyce Kramer Marcus Outstanding Educator Award

Jenny Parker

The College of Education is pleased to announce that Dr. Jenny Parker, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, has received the first Alyce Kramer Marcus Outstanding Educator Award.  The award recognizes a professor who has influenced students, who instills a love of learning in her students, and who demonstrates a passion for teaching.  The award was established by NIU alumnus Joyce Marcus, to honor her mother’s love of learning and special gift for teaching. Joyce and her mother, Alyce, look forward to meeting Dr. Parker.     

A student favorite since arriving at NIU in 1995, Parker is known for teaching extended (none less than three hours) classes with a pedagogy focus that provide real-world experiences and demand active learning.  She teaches both within and outside of the traditional classroom, serving as a faculty advisor for TEACH House since 2003, where she shares her expertise to help residents explore a variety of teaching issues.  For one activity, Dr. Parker developed “Games in the Classroom,” in which she helped students explore ways to make learning fun and engaging while avoiding some of the pitfalls of this type of activity.

She also engages students in community service and fundraising activities; she regularly incorporates a class project to raise money for a community group or cause.  Her students have held fun runs and bowling nights and have sent care packages to military service personnel.  Students take the lead in all aspects of planning, developing, and implementing the projects, with Dr. Parker serving as mentor and advisor. 

Students rave about Dr. Parker and her teaching abilities, saying,

  • “Her energy while teaching and for teaching is contagious.”   
  • “I now try to set my standards to her level. To be able to teach in the creative, caring and educating manner that she taught me will be my unending goal.” 
  • “You can just tell by the way she teaches her classes that she loves teaching.  She has a way about her that makes learning fun and understandable.”
  • “She is not just my teacher, but my friend, and most of all, a person I look up to.” 

In all areas of teaching, Dr. Jenny Parker goes well above and beyond what might be expected.  She provides students with open avenues to reach her and spends considerable time working with students who are having difficulties.  Dr. Parker has devoted her professional life to the mentoring of future physical education and kinesiology teachers and in so doing has become a tremendous role model for her colleagues, as well. 

The College of Education extends sincere congratulations to Dr. Jenny Parker on being selected to receive the 2008 Alyce Kramer Marcus Outstanding Educator Award.