Shared Work, Shared Joy: Moody School of Education Kickoff
On August 10, 2026, the Moody School of Education hosted its annual kickoff event, welcoming teacher candidates to their final clinical experiences at local schools. Hosted at the Hurd Welcome Center, 51 Baylor education students met the educators from La Vega ISD, Midway ISD, Robinson ISD, and Waco ISD who would support their clinical experience. This partnership provides the support needed for the hard work ahead, work that is joyful when done together. The work of equipping future educators is further supported by the Moody School of Education faculty and staff, who lean into partnerships with local educators and schools to share in the preparation of future educators.
Dr. Bill Sterrett, Department Chair of Educational Leadership, was joined by Dr. Chelsea Lippe, Assistant Clinical Professor, to welcome the teacher candidates. As they offered interview advice, Sterrett and Lippe connected success in education to cultivating a culture of joy and building meaningful relationships. They shared that “relationships are at the heart of the profession,” emphasizing relationships that extend beyond the classroom to fellow educators, schools, universities, and future educators. These relationships build partnerships that allow educators to do the hard, meaningful work together.
Sterrett and Lippe emphasized being present with people and participating in the work that cultivates and sustains joy. They shared ideas that ranged from showing up for others, listening, and asking questions. The important idea wasn’t simply how to get a job, but how you show up once you are there. The clinical experience can become an opportunity for future educators to experience the joy that comes from meaningful participation in a school community.
Krystle Moos, Director of Operations and Management for Baylor Center for School Leadership, led a session with Colette Pledger, Deputy Superintendent at Robinson ISD, that allowed educators to learn more about each other before entering a shared classroom. From learning about each other’s experiences and expectations for the classroom to learning how to have hard conversations, these initial conversations set the stage for how to share the hard work to support student learning.
Having attended BCSL’s Culture of Joy event the week before, the Robinson ISD educators brought that experience into the conversation, reflecting on how doing the work of the classroom together creates conditions for joy. Kim Paniagua, resident teacher at Robinson ISD, stepped up at the event held on August 3, 2026, to compete in a frozen t-shirt competition in front of 6,000 educators. Her willingness to participate, step outside her comfort zone, and bring enthusiasm to the experience models the kind of participation that helps create joy within a professional community.
The kickoff represents a commitment to connect teacher preparation with the realities of schools, allowing shared goals of building strong educators, strengthening schools, and serving students well to emerge. As teacher candidates enter this difficult stage of preparation, they are supported by cooperating/host teachers, Baylor faculty, and school leadership. Through relationships, participation, and doing the work together, they experience the joy in the profession that makes all others possible.