Karen Triebel has more than 12 years of experience in education. She began her career as a special education teacher at Butner School in North Carolina. Later, she worked in special education at Marimor School in Lima, Ohio, and Peoria District 150. In 1993, she joined the Praise and Leadership Academy as its director and principal. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from DePauw University and a master’s degree in special education from Illinois State University. Triebel has served on the boards of the Junior League of Peoria and First Federated Church. Triebel is currently a member of the Illinois Principal’s Association, Association of Curriculum Developers, national Association of Elementary School Principals, and the Association of Non-Public Schools, Peoria Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club.She also serves on the executive boards of the Junior League of Peoria and First Federated Church.

Your teaching background is in special education. How do your teaching experiences shape your philosophy of education?

Looking back, it’s been interesting for me to see how my experiences shaped my understanding of education and contributed to the development of Praise and Leadership Academy.

While my initial major at DePauw University was in elementary education, I became interested in individual differences after several intern experiences in the mental health field and in my junior year, I changed my major to psychology.

After graduation, I found myself in the unique position of being offered a job working with severely disabled students. I fell in love with the work and returned to school to obtain my master’s degree in special education.

Special education focuses on identifying the needs of each student and creating an educational plan that best meets the individual needs of the child.

Each child is viewed as unique; they have strengths to be enhanced and weaknesses to be developed.

Special education focuses on the well being of the whole child, not only their academic performance, but social and emotional well being as well. This is how I believe we should look at all children in the educational process.

Teaching these children gave me vast experience in dealing with numerous behavioral challenges. My experience convinced me that while you need consequences for inappropriate behavior, the way to really help children make long lasting changes in their behavior is to praise them when they do something right.

In addition, while working with severely disabled students, I learned to take a skill and break it down into manageable units.

For example, teaching a student to ride the bus might have 20 distinct steps. I’ve taken this knowledge and applied it to my position at PLA.

When faced with what seems to be an impossible task, I’m able to break the task down into multiple steps and address one step at a time.

Describe your educational philosophy.

I believe the best school environment engages the child in learning. This is done by skilled teachers who present activities that challenge the students, allow for creativity, foster social skills, and promote the gifts of each individual child.

It follows that my philosophy of education is an eclectic blend of the traditional and progressive approaches to education.

Learning the facts is simply not enough in today’s world. One must also have higher-order critical thinking skills to know how to use those facts and apply them to the task at hand.

In addition, studies show all children learn differently. I believe every child should attend school in an environment that not only provides an opportunity to learn in a way that suits his/her individual learning style, but celebrates it. When information is presented in a way that’s relevant and interesting to the child’s individual learning style real growth occurs.

Through our practical approach to education, allowing children to work together in a group fosters the development of conflict resolution and other social skills critical to success in life.

What was the impetus for starting the Praise and Leadership Academy?

Praise and Leadership Academy was built on the success of the Praise and Leadership Schools (PALS preschools).

PALS was in operation for about nine years when parents of PALS graduates started expressing an interest in an elementary school with the same philosophical foundation and approach to learning.

These parents saw the benefits of a safe and nurturing environment that encouraged the growth of their child—not just academically, but socially as well.

Tom and Carol Lund founded PALS with the belief that each child is unique and gifted. Their mission was to give each child at PALS a strong self-esteem, an understanding of their uniqueness and life skills that would enable them to accomplish their dreams.

The success of the preschools gave the Lund family sufficient impetus to found the Praise and Leadership Academy.

As director of the academy, what are your responsibilities?

I’m responsible for just about every aspect of the school. Tom and Carol Lund set the direction for the school, and I coordinate the staff and parents as we set out to accomplish our goals.

My daily responsibilities are diverse and range form managing and creating budgets, marketing, building maintenance, creating and implementing school policies, handling personnel issues and student discipline concerns, to coordination of our technology program and lunch room duty.

Basically, if there’s a hat to wear, I put it on. I can’t say I do it all, though. I’m fortunate to have a truly dedicated staff who readily volunteer to facilitate the growth and prosperity of the school.

The parents whose children attend PLA have such a firm conviction in our program that they, too, readily assist the school for anything we need form fundraising to pulling weeds. This is truly a team effort.

What do you enjoy about your position?

I do love the children…the contact I have with them energizes me. I can be having a really stressful day, and all I have to do is go into the classrooms and see the excitement about learning and I am recharged. I also enjoy the variety of tasks that are presented to me each day. No day is exactly the same and one can never predict what will come to my attention on any given day.

For example, last year, we were surprised to find and endangered red-tailed hawk had found its way into our building through a vent in the gym.

We had all sorts of fun learning about the hawk and working with various agencies to get the hawk out of the building. Who could have predicted that?

What type of challenges do you encounter on a daily basis?

I’m always challenged by the clock. There’s always so much more I would like to fit into a day. My biggest struggle is to be patient and address various school needs by their priority.

How has the curriculum developed over the last five years?

While our philosophy has always been to discover each child’s unique strengths and learning styles and teach through those gifts, our approach has become more varied as we learn more about brain development and the most effective teaching methods.

With the addition of a middle school, we’ve added foreign language, string instruments and an elective period where students can select advanced math courses, drama, art, music, creative writing or computer instruction.

We’re constantly re-evaluating our program ad looking at ways for improvement.

How do you address tough social issues in the classroom as compared to the public school system?

Every person needs a moral compass to guide him or her through decisions and life’s challenges.

We believe in the importance of giving students the opportunity to develop ideas about what is right and wrong.

Our teachers are excellent role models for the students; we deal with issues openly and honestly, and we have an open door policy that encourages students to talk about the challenges they face.

We spend a considerable amount of time learning about and discussing real life heroes and the values these people exhibited in fighting for their beliefs.

Some of these people include Martin Luther King Jr., Galileo, Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, and Thomas Edison. Our goal is to give our students the tools to make decisions that are just and moral on a daily basis.

What is unique about the Praise and Leadership Academy?

What makes us unique is how we teach. We acknowledge individual differences in our approach. We provide multi-sensory teaching strategies that engage all learning styles.

We often divide the class into small groups, which rotate frequently to allow students opportunities to learn the material in different ways. Activities at these small groups vary, allowing for cooperative learning, individualized instruction, and active learning. Our classrooms are alive with the sound of children doing, talking and collaborating.

Computers are available in the classrooms (one to four ratio) and allow our students to use them frequently for Internet access or software applications. Computer instruction is given in the classrooms, not in a lab setting so that the learning is relevant.

While we use textbooks in the classroom, they are resources for learning but not our sole source of information. Projects and group work are common.

Instead of isolating subject matter, our teachers integrate information to be learned in thematic units. For example, our school may have a monthly theme focusing on space.

Our readers may read science fiction or Greek mythology in literature, study the solar system in science class, in math they may be calculating cubic volume for food items they may take with them in space, in art they may be creating aliens from recycled materials, and in writing they may be creating their own myth or story about space.

The learning becomes integrated and simply makes more sense.

Our program is constantly enriching the students’ learning. We have frequent guests to our school, and numerous field trips.

We have time in our day called “morning opening” where the whole school gathers for 15 minutes. It’s during this time we invite people form the community to share their expertise that may relate to our school theme, read about famous people/events in history, or allow students to present plays generated from the classroom.

What do you think parents appreciate about the academy? How do you accommodate working parents?

The parents value the high expectations for learning. Their children are challenged and are excelling. Their children love coming to school and learning.

Our parents also value the creative learning experiences we offer through our curriculum including music, art, and drama.

Our program values diversity in our enrollment, and our scholarship program offers opportunities for children of all income levels to attend our school.

We strive to meet the needs of our working parents. Our school has a quality before and after care program. We offer lessons before and after school so that working parents can eliminates some of the running around after work. We offer enrichment programs on most school holidays, too.

During the summer, we offer a full range of programs and lessons for children through the 8th grade. Parents rarely have to be concerned about finding care for their children. Parents seem to appreciate that their children are safe and learning, too.

To what do you attribute the high academic performance of your students?

Our students achieve excellence for a multitude of reasons. We’ve taken advantage of research that reveals remarkable data about the brain.

The multi-sensory learning and thematic approach provides connections to other storage areas of the brain, this reinforcing the memory.

When our students work together cooperatively in groups, they are provided with opportunities to think and speak about a topic which also enhances long term retention.

Rotating from one group to another provides the students’ with movement opportunities and eliminates the need to sit for long periods of time—and subsequent inattentiveness.

Our teachers also provide feedback about what’s being studied in meaningful ways.

Practicing what they learn in a school store, in a play, or in a creative writing assignment allows for choice and helps develop genuine understanding.

A positive learning environment also influences the mind’s readiness to accept and retain information.

Supportive teachers, active learning, and good surroundings are ingredients for a healthy learning environment.

Students at PLA feel physically safe and emotionally secure.

Students’ ideas and thoughts are recognized and valued. For example, a 6th grade student had an idea to collect books that our students had outgrown at home and donate those books to students who didn’t have access to books at home.

The student took this idea from start to finish and we distributed more than 1,500 books in our first year.

What are your future goals for the academy?

Administratively, we’d like to see our school reach full capacity in the next few years. We’d also like to help out additional working parents in the community by expanding our summer program.

From the curriculum standpoint, we’d love to find a way to introduce foreign languages in the primary grades as part of the curriculum.

Currently, we offer both Spanish and French for students in the primary grades in before or after school lessons and French is offered in the middle school.

We have had plans to introduce a micro-society concept as an elective class. This would allow our students a hands-on experience with the world of commerce.

What do you see as challenges for the U.S. educational system in the next century?

We need to continue our efforts to engage all students in the educational process.

Schools should be places of joy and excitement that enable all students to reach their highest potential. Students and teachers do need to feel safe in their environment, but I believe schools are addressing safety concerns. We have to continue to develop the child’s moral center so that children will make decisions that are not simply self-centered, but focused on what’s good for everyone.

Our country needs to decide if we want to make education a priority in our budgets and in our lives. We have school buildings that are aging and in need of repair, technology’s constantly changing, and if we want to continue to draw some of the best people to teach our children, we have to offer competitive salaries.

At home, children are drawn away from reading as they watch TV, play Ninetendo, or computer games. Our society must make education our number one priority…our children are our future.

How will our youth fare when entering a global marketplace with colleagues from other countries educated in rigorous academic environments?

I believe those students who continue past high school and receive a higher degree will continue to respond favorably to the marketplace demands.

Our students at PLA are learning about cultural diversity, computer skills, working in cooperative groups, and problem-solving skills. These skills, along with any technical skills, will enable our young people to compete easily with students from other countries.

I am concerned, however, about those students who seem to disengage for the education process too early and won’t have the skills necessary to move beyond a minimum wage position. These students are the ones we need to engage and keep in school.

Are you optimistic about the future of education?

Yes, I am optimistic about the future of education. More students than ever are finishing high school and applying for college. The reform movement is slowly taking hold, and I continue to read more and more how our nation’s schools are adopting some of the best practices in teaching.

You have three children of your own. What are the messages you believe children need to receive at home and in their educational environment?

Children need to know they are loved unconditionally. Even thought they make mistakes and choices we may not approve of, the children need to have the security of knowing we will always be there for them.

While many of us work long hours and are pulled in different directions, we need to remember to keep our children our number one priority.

Children need to be guided in their development of a moral center. I want all children to be able to stand up for what they believe is right. Decisions and actions must be based on whether they are just and fair for all and reflect the love of God.

Children need to know they are very unique and different, and children need to learn about and appreciate their gifts.

We need to provide them at home and school with opportunities to explore their interests and develop their gifts.

As my children move into the world of work, I want them to find happiness in doing something they love and utilizes their talents. TPW