Dr. Jackie Cleven is teaching Introduction to Special Education on Wednesday evenings at Kishwaukee College this spring. Jackie is no stranger to Kishwaukee: she is an alum who discovered her passion for teaching when she was a student in Jodi Lord’s classroom nearly 15 years ago.
On Wednesday evenings at Kishwaukee College this semester, Jackie Cleven is teaching Introduction to Special Education to a class of future teachers. It is a place she has been before: Jackie was sitting in the student desks at Kishwaukee about 15 years ago.
“I was actually a poultry inspector in Wisconsin when I met my husband and we relocated to Illinois,” she recalled. “I had started college but not finished. After we moved here, my husband suggested I go to Kish.” It was 1999. She met with a counselor who suggested she take a class in education with Jodi Lord. Being in Jodi’s class changed everything for Jackie.
Jodi Lord recalled her impressions of Jackie. “I knew Jackie was special the day she walked into my Physical Education for Children class,” she said. “It didn’t matter that Jackie was a nontraditional student in a class full of 18-21 year olds. Jackie just had that natural teacher vibe. There are just some students who enter your life and you know that they are going to be successful. Jackie was one of those students.”
Jackie remembered her first class with a bit less of that confident vibe. “I was scared to death,” she said. “I really didn’t think I could do it. The first assignment was to develop a basketball unit for a class. I knew absolutely nothing about basketball – it was so completely outside my comfort zone. But I did it. Actually, I still have that unit.” She told herself that if she could pass this one class, she could keep going.
She passed that one class with an A and she did keep going. She graduated from Kishwaukee, transferred to Northern Illinois University and received a B.A. in Education. Then continued on to Aurora University and received a M.A. in Educational Leadership. In 2014, she graduated with an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading from NIU. She is now Dr. Cleven. In addition, for the past 13 years, she has taught second grade at South Prairie School in Sycamore.
“Jodi Lord was the pivotal person in my academic life,” she said. “She showed me I could do this. I did a small clinical teaching experience in Creston with Jodi and I was addicted. I knew I wanted to be a teacher and that I could be a teacher. After I graduated from Kish, I have kept in touch with Jodi through the years.”
Jodi added, “I have had the pleasure of placing many clinical students with Jackie at South Prairie. These are sophomore level students who have to complete 50 hours in a classroom setting. With each placement, they get a visit from me. Jackie still says after all these years that she gets nervous when she knows I am coming!”
Jackie was approached by Jodi when the Special Education class position opened up. Jackie was intrigued and came to campus to meet with Dean of Heath & Education, Bette Chilton. Jodi explained, “I approached Jackie to teach for us because I thought it would be challenging for her to go from teaching 2nd grade to college students and she has always enjoyed a challenge. But, really, I asked Jackie because she has such a love of teaching and I want that type of energy and passion in front of a classroom of future teachers.”
Bette took her on a tour of campus and discussed everything she would need to teach a college level class. “Bette and Jodi helped me with writing a syllabus and some class planning,” she said. “The class only meets once a week so it is about three hours long. It is a bit new for me. But I have always been a very scaffolding kind of person. I always ask “How can I help you?” and am doing well with my students in class.”
“It makes me very proud to say that Dr. Cleven is part of our teacher education team at Kishwaukee College,” stated Jodi Lord. “She is a great role model, mentor and success story to every one of those students sitting in her classroom.”
For Dr. Jackie Cleven, coming full circle has a comfortable feel of fate to it. “I couldn’t believe that the person I had my very first class with at Kish, the person who changed the direction of my life, is also the same person who gave me a shot at teaching here,” she said. “I hope I can mentor young people who want to be teachers just as Jodi mentored me.”
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