Hardin-Simmons University Irvin School of Education

What an incredible morning of learning and growth at the Houston-Lantrip Center at HSU. The Irvin SOE just wrapped up our morning conference, "Making Space for All Learners: Thriving Together in Autism-Inclusive Classrooms," led by the phenomenal Emily Striker-Morris.

Thank you to all the teachers, parents, healthcare professionals, diagnoticians, SPED directors, public/private administrators, education major, and SOE faculty member who joined us to learn how we can build truly inclusive spaces for all students.

A huge thank you to the dedicated groups and individuals who made this event a success:

Dr. Amber Prentice, Event Coordinator and Asst. Professor of KCOBPS

Dr. Renee Collins, Associate Dean, Irvin SOE and Professor of KCOBPS

The Conference Task Force

Donna Snook, Billye Sneed, & Cassie Mattern

Other HSU staff members assisting with technology, marketing, and setup for conference.

We are grateful for the sponsors of the first summer conference:
Tiny or Grand Realty Group
Grounded Roots Family Development Center

Together, we are transforming practices and building true belonging!

One of the best parts of summer is catching up with SOE alumni! 🎓 It was so wonderful to welcome Rebekah Feese Springer (2011) and Neal Springer (2010) to HSU yesterday.

It was great meeting their son and hearing about their continued success: Rebekah: A dedicated elementary teacher since 2011, gearing up to teach 5th grade ELAR and Social Studies. Neal: Thriving as the Orchestra Director at Fort Bend ISD in Katy, TX.

What a wonderful time recalling special memories of Rebekah and Neal at HSU.

Dream-Makers Professional Development 2026...a time of affirmations, inspiration, and confirmations as teachers and life-long learners. We had four presenters, all HSU Alumni, Mrs. Hillary Brown, Mrs. Shannon Maynard, Dr. Amber Prentice, and Dr. Renee Collins, along with a room full of educators from various schools participating for four days.

Topics included motivation, engaging diverse learners, formative assessments, assistive technology and technology standards (ISTE) along with resources like SAMR, topics in Special Education like ARD meetings, IEPs, accomodations/modifications, and numerous current resources to support the teacher during the school year in areas of curriculum and special education.

So many people behind the scenes helped to make the Professional Development PD happen - a big thank you to Donna Snook, Billye Sneed, and Tim McCarry. Thank you, Community Foundation of Abilene for the grant money. What a wonderful time of learning together!

From Learning to Leading: Inside Irvin SOE’s Dream-Maker’s Professional Development Program - Hardin-Simmons University From Learning to Leading: Inside Irvin SOE’s Dream-Maker’s Professional Development Program June 11, 2026 Share: Hardin-Simmons University’s Irvin School of Education recently hosted its second annual Dream-Makers Professional Development workshop, a four-day event designed to support and equi...

So happy for one of our recent graduates, Maddox Bella. Congratulations on your new position with Friendship Elementary School.

🎉✨ Who’s New Wednesday! ✨🎉
Help us give a big Friendship welcome to our new Music Teacher, Maddox Bellah! ❤️🎶

Mrs. Bellah is beginning her very first year in education, and we are thrilled that she is starting her teaching journey at Friendship Elementary! She is passionate about helping students develop a love and appreciation for music through singing, creating, and making music together. 🎵✨

What excites Mrs. Bellah most about joining Friendship is the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with her students and support them throughout the school year. She looks forward to creating a classroom environment where every child feels valued, encouraged, and excited to learn. 🌟

When she's not sharing her love of music, Mrs. Bellah enjoys playing the piano, visiting coffee shops, crocheting, hiking, playing pickleball, and spending time with her husband. ☕🎹🥾🏓

Fun fact: Music education runs in the family! Mrs. Bellah's dad was also an elementary music teacher, making her passion for teaching music a family tradition. 🎶❤️

We are so excited to welcome Mrs. Bellah to the Friendship family and can't wait to see the joy, creativity, and enthusiasm she brings to our students each day.

Drop a comment below and help us welcome Mrs. Bellah to Friendship! 👇🎉

Congratulations goes to one of our doctoral alumni, Dr. Sarah Hernandez, on her award as the 2026 Region 15 Secondary Principal of the Year. We are so proud of her.

Our 2nd Dream-Makers Professional Development is happening soon. If you know of any K - 12 teachers, new to the career of teaching or someone needing a refresher about curriculum & instruction or special education, please pass along this info. We are grateful for the Community Foundation of Abilene grant money along with a generous donor from HSU alum.

Dream-Makers Professional Development
June 8 - 11, 2026 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Johnson Building at HSU

Fee: $10

Contact: Dr. Renee Collins, Associate Dean, Irvin SOE at [email protected]

Last Thursday evening, we celebrated the new EdD Educational Leadership graduates! 🎓✨ Surrounded by family and faculty mentors, we honored four outstanding students with their doctoral hoods and Hardin-Simmons University rings, marking the successful completion of their journey and a future of leading with purpose.

Congratulations to Dr. Kelli Jenkins, Dr. Laura Lee Frazier, Dr. Wyatt Olson, and Dr. Michelle Savoie. We appreciate each of the dissertation committee chairs and members as well as a big thank you to Dr. Pam Hailey-Toker for continued dissertation support along the way. We appreciate the inspiring message delivered by Dr. Doug McIntyre, Dean of the Kelley College of Business & Professional Studies. 💍🦅

Please register for this free conference.

Save the date for June 18. 💙 We’re coming together at HSU for our inaugural event focused on autism-inclusive classrooms and creating space where every learner can thrive.

Educators, students, families, and community members are invited to join the conversation. Guest speaker Emily Kircher-Morris will join us, followed by a book signing.

More details and registration coming soon.