Auburn Ed Talks
Auburn Ed Talks is the official podcast of Auburn University’s College of Education. On this podcast, we spotlight the people, ideas and innovations shaping the future of education.
Auburn Ed Talks
Leading Beyond the Classroom: Alabama's Teacher of the Year
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode of our College of Education podcast, Auburn Ed Talks, we feature Alabama Teacher of the Year Elizabeth Von Hofe, a special education teacher at Spanish Fort Elementary School, and Dr. Laura Crowe, director of the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center. The discussion centers on what it means to lead as a teacher, how educators can amplify their voices and why opportunities like National Board Certification can help teachers grow professionally and expand their impact.
Welcome back to Auburn Ed Talks, the official podcast of Auburn University's College of Education. Recorded in the Pratt Family Media Production Room in our College of Education Building, this podcast spotlights the people, ideas and innovations shaping the future of education and beyond. by Alabama Teacher of the Year Elizabeth Von Hofe, a special education teacher at Spanish Fort Elementary School, and Dr. Laura Crowe, director of the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has championed teacher leadership, professional growth and educational advocacy while continuing to make a difference in the lives of students every day. Dr. Crowe works with educators across the region to support professional learning, leadership development and opportunities such as National Board Certification. In this episode, we'll discuss what it means to lead as a teacher and how educators can amplify their voices and grow professionally. So, let's get to talkin’!
Student Ambassador:Hello, everyone! I'm Libby Lamberth, a student ambassador in Auburn University's College of Education, and I'm excited to host today's conversation. Joining me today are Alabama Teacher of the Year Elizabeth Von Hofe and Dr. Laura Crowe, director of the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center. Elizabeth serves as a special education teacher at Spanish Fort Elementary School and has become a strong voice for educators across our state through her commitment to teacher leadership, advocacy and professional excellence. Dr. Crowe leads the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center, which supports educators through professional learning opportunities and leadership development initiatives, including National Board Certification support. Elizabeth and Dr. Crowe, thank you for both joining us today.
Mrs. von Hofe:Thank you for having us.
Dr. Crowe:Thank you. I'm glad to be here.
Student Ambassador:Yay! I'm excited. Before we dive into today's discussion, I'd love for our listeners to get to know [you] a little better. Elizabeth, can you tell us about your journey into education and what inspired you to become a teacher?
Mrs. von Hofe:My journey is a little bit different. I actually went to business school at a rival university on the other side of the state. We won't talk about that.
Student Ambassador:Yes.
Mrs. von Hofe:Got my master's in business there and did over a decade in health care administration. And then I became a mom, and my oldest child was a type one diabetic at age three, and my youngest was also diagnosed in the same month with developmental delay. So instead of being a healthcare administrator, I became a recipient of those services, so became a mom and started getting involved with their preschool, their elementary school when they started elementary school. And my intention was to return to health care administration when my youngest started kindergarten. But Covid pandemic hit and I decided health care, as I had known it, had changed for an indefinite period of time. And I'd been in the school and I had a passion for substitute teaching and special education classes, and I discovered that the University of South Alabama had an alternate Master’s of Education program, just like Auburn does, for people like me who had degrees in other fields, could go back to school with just a few more credit hours and get a teaching certification. So I did that and was working as a paraprofessional while I did that. And then Spanish Fort Elementary hired me while I completed my degree on an interim educator certificate that the state offers. And I've been at Spanish Fort Elementary for the last five years, got national board certified in 2024 in my third year of teaching, and then got named Teacher of the Year for the state in my fifth year. So it's been a whirlwind little tour.
Student Ambassador:That is awesome and congratulations! That is such an amazing accomplishment. And that's just aspiring story. That's amazing. Alright, and you currently work in special education which is such an important area for our profession. Tell us a little bit about your role and what you enjoy most about working with students.
Mrs. von Hofe:I started as a resource teacher for my first year in teaching, and then my second year I transferred to the multiple disabilities classroom, the self-contained classroom for kindergarten through sixth grade. So all of our students in the elementary school that had multiple or severe disabilities were in that classroom. And one of my first tasks was, I didn't like that label for special education. So I renamed my classroom with the approval of my principal, and we made it an acronym, and it's called “CAMP Sunshine.” CAMP is for “Collaborative, Academic, Multi-Sensory, Project-Based learning.” The “sun” part of that is “Students with Unique Needs.” And then “shine” is our school-wide acronym that goes for “Service, Honesty, Integrity, Never Give Up, and Excellence.” So, we've kind of combined that; made it an acronym. And now everybody loves to come to Camp Sunshine because we're a happy place! We're doing learning a little bit differently. But that's what I love about special education is getting to work with those students from early on and watching them until they go to middle school. I recently had a student who had severe behaviors when I started in that classroom, when he was in third grade and through an organization called Project Outreach, that I'm also the chapter sponsor of, we do reverse inclusion and bring students into the classroom for those students who aren't quite able to go out with their peers. Before he went to middle school this year, he sat in a whole school assembly with no adult support and sat with his peers. So that's the progress I love seeing that I get to be a small part of along with combining our non-disabled peers and our students with disabilities and helping them grow into programs, like the EAGLES program here. That's my goal as an elementary teacher, is to progress those students to be thriving adults with or without disabilities.
Student Ambassador:That's awesome. I love like the intentionality with the CAMP Sunshine. That is just awesome. And no one would think that. But that is so creative and just so intentional of you. That's amazing. Being named Alabama Teacher of the year is an incredible honor. What was your reaction when you learned you had been selected, and what has that experience been like so far?
Mrs. von Hofe:When I was named Baldwin County's Elementary Teacher of the Year, I went on stage, shook the superintendent's hand, got my flowers, and thought, “This is fun. We'll go back to the classroom now. This was a great honor.” And then a few weeks later, Mrs. Ann Starks called me from the State Department and told me I was the State Department District 1 Elementary Teacher of the Year. And then I will never forget standing in carline helping a preschooler get to his classroom when I get an unknown call on my phone and I thought, “well, it might be a teacher I don't have in my contact list,” and I answered the phone and it says, “Hello, this is Dr. Eric Mackey, State Superintendent of Education,” and he told me I was in the final four. So then just a couple of weeks later, I went for an interview in front of 16 people. And then the next Wednesday at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, they called my name as the State Teacher of the Year, and I'm just proud to represent special education for one in this role and to share the message. My goal this year, it is not about me. There is a lot of great, amazing teachers across our state. I was educated in this state as a public school student. I'm the parent of public school students. The state of Alabama knows how to do education, and I'm just proud to shine the light on some of those students that sometimes get put in the shadows and try to help all of our teachers and our students find their purpose to help people thrive, both our peers and our students. So, that's kind of been what my mission is as Alabama Teacher of the Year. It's not about me. It's about the message to shine light across our state.
Student Ambassador:That's awesome. That's so cool to hear about. And when people hear the phrase teacher leadership, they often think of principals or district leaders. But leadership can take many forms. What does teacher leadership mean to you and why is it important in today's schools?
Mrs. von Hofe:I remember a book by Mark Sanborn says, “you don't need a title to be a leader,” and I truly believe in that. When I started my health care career, my company had the first year training. I rotated as a nurse's aide. I shadowed the nurses. I've worked in maintenance. I worked in housekeeping. I learned all of those roles, same roles that we have in our school systems. Every single person matters and can lead from wherever they're at. You don't need a badge. You don't need a higher paycheck to be a leader. And I think teacher leadership is especially important that we are leading students, but we're also leading new teachers and our peers in that role. And trying to support that is what I feel like is the most that teachers need to use their voice to lead, but also realize that everyone on our campus can be a leader no matter what their title is. Just a smile and eye contact can make the difference to someone's day. And I think everyone can lead just by the positive attitude that they bring every day.
Student Ambassador:I totally agree. As Alabama Teacher of the Year, you've had opportunities to represent educators across the state. Why is it important for teachers to share their voices and advocate for students, schools and the teaching profession?
Mrs. von Hofe:Having come from a health care administrator background, I've been in those leadership roles, and I've also had opportunity to work with some of our politicians and different people in those roles. I think it's good to have voice because they can hear from the people with boots on the ground that are in the classroom day in and day out. Even in the five years I've been in the classroom, I've seen changes in student behaviors, in parental involvement, in different topics and areas of education. What I think is important is to understand that policy works slower than what we see in the classroom, or how fast we would like to see it change in the classroom. But I think those people who are outside the classroom need to hear from teachers to understand, but we as teachers also need to understand it's not going to work as quickly as we would like, especially when it comes to the democratic process that we have the freedom to participate in that it is a slower process, but also that our voices can be heard and that there is a box that policy demands. But it doesn't mean we can't get creative within that box to be better teachers and better leaders in our school systems.
Student Ambassador:Yeah, totally. Many of our listeners are Auburn students preparing to become educators themselves. What advice would you give future teachers about finding their voice and becoming leaders early in their careers?
Mrs. von Hofe:I would say make -- find the school that fits for you. Don't always -- You don't have to accept the first job offer you get. That's always a nice thing to get excited about a job offer. Find the school. Ask questions in your interviews of does that school match the school that you're wanting to be a part of? Because every school has a different culture, and I think that's the biggest thing is finding, finding your tribe essentially in that. But also remember that you are the voice of those students. And to keep every student in your classroom. The State Department's motto is “Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day.” And I think belonging begins at the door and greeting your students at the door, not trying to get ready for the day and checking emails. Greeting them with the door with a smile reduces chronic absenteeism. It increases student engagement. That's what the research shows us. So I think new teachers going in, it doesn't have to be a perfect plan. It just has to be a person there that smiles at those students and lets them know they belong, and that you're also one that's finding solutions for your team and your grade level team to try to find solutions and promote belonging across the whole campus.
Student Ambassador:I think that's really important because working in education, you never know what's going to be thrown at you, for you and the students. And so I think kind of having it just with the mindset, like it's not going to be perfect. I think that is great advice and something that I definitely will take on for sure. Professional growth is something educators hear about throughout their careers. Elizabeth, what have been some of your most valuable opportunities that have helped you grow as an educator and develop as a teacher leader?
Mrs. von Hofe:I have two master's degrees, two bachelor's degrees, and I've averaged about 100 hours of professional development a year. So there's been a lot of opportunities to think about what has made the best. I will say, just like what Dr. Crowe represents here, the Regional Inservice Centers for our areas are amazing opportunities for professional development and growth. I consider myself a lifelong learner. Obviously. I went back to school in my 40s to get my teaching degree and now at 48, just got my instructional leadership certificate. So I think continual growth and professional learning is what grows you as a person and makes you a better teacher. What I would have to say, though, that grew me the most, is becoming a National Board Certified teacher. That process that I became familiar of and got support from through my Regional Inservice Center was probably the most defining moment that helped me grow as a teacher.
Student Ambassador:Yeah. That's awesome. I've heard awesome things about getting Nationally Board Certified, and I know the process is not super easy, but that is just awesome that you accomplished that. You've previously spoken about how National Board Certification played an important role in your professional journey. Can you share what that experience was like, and how support from your Regional Inservice Center helped you through the process?
Mrs. von Hofe:I think I just chose to get National Board Certified because I did enter this career late through an alternate pathway. I student taught in my own classroom, so I didn't have that student teaching experience that a lot of graduates have. And even though my evaluations were great, everyone was telling me I was a good teacher. I wanted an outside evaluation of that process. So I discovered the National Board Certification program, and then our local, Regional Inservice Center did cohorts that I attended monthly after school. And it was great because it was the first half was education. And then the second half of those two hours, you had time to focus on the writing and the reflection and applying what you were learning through the educational side of it. It made me a more reflective practitioner about how I teach. But more than that, through the exceptional needs side of National Board Certification, it helped me not underestimate the abilities of my students. It helped me elevate what they could do and to see what they could do. And I was amazed in getting my severely disabled students were able to self-assess their work when given visual rubrics, and trying to see how I could use what's typically verbal instruction and response, using it for nonverbal students. National Board Certification - I did all four components in one year. You've got five years to complete it. I dove in and did all four components in my first year that I applied, and you have to be in the classroom for three years. My three years was November and I got certified in December, so it's possible to do it all in a year, but you have five years to complete it. I would recommend it for every teacher who's been in the classroom three years or more to go through that process instead of thinking, you've got to be in the classroom 20 years before you're experienced enough to be board certified. Do it as early as you can because it makes you a better teacher for the rest of your tenure.
Student Ambassador:That is just awesome. Now, Dr. Crowe, for listeners who may be not familiar with Alabama's Regional Inservice Centers, can you tell us about the role they play in supporting educators and professional growth opportunities across the state?
Dr. Crowe:Yeah, we have actually been around for a very long time. We were established way back in 1984 by our Alabama state legislators. And our goal and our mission is to provide high quality professional learning to the educators, to the school districts that we serve. We are actually honored and privilege to serve 15 school districts as far north as Tallapoosa County and Alexander City, and as far south as Eufaula City and Barbour County. This includes about 4500 educators, and last year alone, we had over 237 professional learning and professional development sessions offered to the educators throughout our region and tailored to their needs. At the heart of everything that we do, are partnerships. So we serve as a liaison between the Alabama State Department of Education, Auburn University, and the school districts that we serve and in alignment with our mission, we know that when we invest in our educators, we are investing in our students.
Student Ambassador:I love that. That's awesome. National Board Certification has come up several times in our conversation. Dr. Crowe, why is this credential so valuable for educators, and what opportunities currently exist for teachers interested in pursuing certification through the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center?
Dr. Crowe:Well, as Elizabeth mentioned, National Board Certification is considered the pinnacle credential for educators. When teachers go through the process, they are considered “accomplished teachers.” As she mentioned, they are often more reflective in their practice, and most importantly, they put the student at the forefront of all of their instruction. There is research to suggest that students of Nationally Board Certified teachers gained one to two months of additional instruction in an academic year, compared to a student that may not have a National Board Certified teacher, and it can be as much as three months more in instruction in some of the other areas, such as math. There's also research to suggest that students of National Board Certified teachers, they have a deeper understanding of their learning. And we had a very big week last week. So when I became director about six years ago, I had a vision of what I wanted our National Board Certification to look like, our programing. And I knew that there were cohorts throughout the state that had been very successful in helping teachers become Nationally Board Certified. And at that time, I started meeting with school districts across the state and say, “Hey, tell me what you do. Tell me a little bit more about what you do, what makes this successful.” Then at that time, I started recruiting some people who would become our professional learning facilitators to lead these sessions. And five years ago it was very, very hard. It was during Covid, but we kicked off our cohort model. So we have cohorts. We started off with two. Auburn as our main one. We started off with two, and last week we expanded to four. And with that cohort model, we meet once a month and we target a specific area. So, last week it focused on just an overview of National Board Certification. And the sessions are all strategically set up. Next month we will focus on component four because component four does take a little bit longer. So we meet monthly and we have professional learning facilitators to facilitate those. In the spring, those professional learning facilitators that are leading those cohorts, they will move more into a mentor and coaching model, where they mentor and coach our candidates on their writing and provide feedback. Our cohorts now are in Auburn. We have one in Lanett City in Chambers County, and our two newest ones are in Elmore County, and we have one in Eufaula City. And they're strategically located because Elmore County is an hour and five minutes away. We had teachers driving an hour after school, after teaching to attend these cohorts. Now it’s making that support more accessible to them. Eufaula City in Barbour County, that's an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes away. By placing that cohort there, we're giving those teachers more access to the support they need to be successful in that. Last week, at the sessions, I got to hear testimonies. We -- one of the questions asked of candidates and it was returning candidates, if you were in a cohort from the previous year. What is one takeaway you'd like to share? And a very common theme that kept coming up were our writing retreats. So we offer three writing retreats this year. In the past, we've offered two, and if they've attended four of our cohort sessions, they can come in and we just provide a day for them to write - away from school, away from family, and we pay for the teacher subs for that day. We reimburse the school systems for that. And that is one thing that we have been told has been the greatest gift to them, is just providing time to write. And we have big things in store, and we can't wait to see all the National Board Certified teachers that are going to come out from Region 9 and across the state.
Student Ambassador:That's so awesome to hear. I think what you said, how every teacher should do that, just that's proof right there of how great of an experience it is. And it's also a way for teachers to be able to learn too, and more about education and how to be a better teacher. That's just awesome. Teacher burnout and retention continue to be important conversations in education. What helps you stay motivated and inspired after years in the profession?
Dr. Crowe:Can you repeat that question?
Student Ambassador:Yes, teacher burnout and retention continue to be important conversations in education. What helps you stay motivated and inspired after years in the profession?
Dr. Crowe:I think it's seeing all the positive impact. I feel like education is a profession where we get to make a positive impact each and every single day. We don't always see that right away, but refocusing to about what my why was. We have the opportunity to make the lives of others better each day.
Student Ambassador:That's so important. Yes.
Mrs. von Hofe:I would say in the world of social media is looking at what you're feeding your brain with because algorithms are out there and if you see negative, it's going to keep giving you negative the more views you do. And I think finding the positive because there is something good going on in every classroom, every single day. And I think being around people that are positive and being solution focused and positive in your school community also helps because there's a lot of negativity in our world and us finding the positive and as teachers, we can promote that more.
Student Ambassador:That's a great point. Yeah. If you could change one misconception about teaching, what would it be?
Mrs. von Hofe:I think the misconception about teaching a lot of times comes from people who aren't teaching. And similar to that with the social media world, keyboard warriors are out there and people don't have to put their name out and they’re anonymous, and they can say whatever they want to about education system. I was educated in Alabama. Alabama had a long stigma of being low in the nation. People need to look at the data now, though, because we are rising to the very top in math, in reading scores. And I think if people really look at the data and what's going on in our classrooms, then they will see the misconceptions about teaching is teaching is the most important field. I left a very high profile, high salary health care job. You could not get me to leave teaching right now, because I have seen the impact in student lives and how lives are changed, and how we get to be the face that creates every other profession in the world, from starting as teaching so the best teachers can be proud of their babies. And we see generations to come have impact because of the difference we made for that child, their child will be impacted. I am sitting here right now because a coach in Boaz, Alabama invested in my father who wouldn't have gone to college otherwise, and he went to college because of that one coach and had six children, most of which are now connected to education. So I sit here as Alabama Teacher of the Year from a father who got invested in by a teacher. Had he not had that investment from that one teacher, I might not be sitting here at all today. Who knows what my family history would have done. So I think teaching has the greatest impact of any career in the field. And I hope we get more. And I hope there are more like me because they're out there, not in teaching fields, but teaching certification is out there. And I think the teaching shortage can be solved by helping find those people who have those gifts of teaching that can be brought into the education system.
Student Ambassador:Yeah.
Dr. Crowe:And I agree with Elizabeth. I think it's a very rewarding career. When I started college, I didn't intend to become a teacher. And I still remember the moment. I remember the moment I decided to go into education. And there's not a doubt in my mind that I was not meant to be an educator. I love what I get to do each and every single day, and it's focusing on the positive. There's a lot of positive things that come out of education, and we, we, we help people become who they're becoming. And right now, I'm in a season of where I get to see former students doing big things at football games and becoming big things, and I get to see them in the social media, and it's all because of the educators that they've had as, as they've gone out. But it's a very rewarding career. You may not see everything positively right away, but I still have students come up to me and they remember me. And it's - it really is a rewarding career to go into.
Student Ambassador:I can say, like, as someone who is in the College of Education and like growing up here, I still like look up to my teachers to this day and like, I'll see them randomly and it'll just like make my day. So that's just coming from a student and I definitely just like agree with that. Like just being positive in that workforce is so, so important for not only the teachers but the students and everybody involved.
Mrs. von Hofe:And we don't have time in the podcast. But I could name every teacher I had from kindergarten.
Student Ambassador:Yeah, me too.
Mrs. von Hofe:That's the impact people in those classrooms have is that 48 years later, I'm still remembering the teachers who made impacts in my life from kindergarten on through college, so it's impactful. I may not remember people I've noticed on the street, or people I've been in meetings and sessions with, but I remember those teachers.
Student Ambassador:Yes, exactly. As someone who has reached one of the highest honors in education, what hopes do you have for the future of the teaching profession in Alabama?
Mrs. von Hofe:For the future of teaching in Alabama, I think for our teachers to realize - it is more than curriculum that we do every day. Yes, we're given content and grade level standards. We're given curriculum to teach, but it is the difference we make. It is looking in every student’s eyes to see what they need. Working in Special Ed, I get to do individualized education programs every day for students, but I wish we could do that for every student in the state. And I think it's easier said than done. I think teaching our teachers to have good classroom practices minimizes the number of behaviors that they have to address, minimizes the number of individualized education programs they may need, or 504 programs. We want to level the playing field for every student, but I want us to grasp the future that we have. And as we're making gains in math and reading, some people may be surprised. But I still agree with standardized test scores, and I think that's something that people get...we're teaching this - Standardized test scores give us a bar to compare ourselves nationwide with, to see where we stand. And our performance in that is showing that Alabama is growing. We want to individualize instruction, look in those students’ eyes. The student is not a test score, but helping them achieve their best test scores is what we can do through promoting what they need and giving them that sense of belonging and purpose. I think the future of teaching needs to use the tools we have, but also see that it's beyond the textbook, it's the students that we are impacting their futures. And as an elementary teacher, when that student comes in my classroom, I'm trying to see them 20 years down the road of what job career, what purpose can I help them find in that career pathway? Because we are teaching for careers, and if they don't see a purpose for what we're teaching, and it's not relevant to what they are interested in and what they want to do in the future, then they give up hope. And I think that's where youth mental health comes into play is that we've got to focus on keeping their mental health attuned to help them see their purpose for the future.
Student Ambassador:Yeah, that's definitely so important. Well, this has been such an inspiring conversation. Today we've talked about leadership, advocacy, professional growth and the importance of support systems that help educators continue learning and growing throughout their careers. Before we close, I've loved to ask one final question. If you could leave Auburn, Auburn's future educators with one sentence of encouragement as they prepare to enter the profession, what would it be?
Mrs. von Hofe:One sentence. You do not have to have an Instagram, Pinterest worthy classroom, and all your students need is you and you caring enough because they know you care. They will meet whatever standards you put in front of them because they know you care and you want them to succeed. You can have the nice and pretty classrooms and and try to compare. But more than the walls, what's on the walls, they need who's behind the desk and to step beyond the desk to be out there with those students, not get glued to the podium. So don't worry about what's on the walls. Worry about who's in the desk and give them a smile, and eye contact. That’s a long sentence.
Student Ambassador:That's good.
Dr. Crowe:And never underestimate the power you have to leave a lasting and positive impact on a child's life.
Student Ambassador:That's awesome. I love that. Elizabeth and Dr. Crowe, thank you both for joining us today and for sharing your experiences and insights with our listeners. Elizabeth, congratulations on being named Alabama Teacher of the Year, and thank you for your work you do on behalf of students and educators across our state. Dr. Crowe, thank you for helping support and develop educators across our region and for sharing more about the opportunities available through the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center. And thank you to everyone listening to Auburn Ed Talks. Be sure to subscribe for more conversations that elevate, empower and celebrate the world of education.
All:War Eagle!