Meet THI Instructor Kelly Lickteig

Q: Kelly, how did you come to be an instructor for the Heritage Institute?

In 2012, I was taking courses through the Heritage Institute to renew my teaching license. I enjoyed the courses I was taking and thought it would be fun to create my own courses, particularly in the subject areas I was most passionate about. I submitted a course proposal to the administration at the Heritage Institute, and after it was approved, I started developing my course syllabus. I am now teaching three courses and working on more.   

Q: What are some of your most popular courses and what do teachers say they come away with after learning from you?

“The Challenging Preschooler” and “Meeting Social Studies Standards with Picture Books” are my most popular courses.   Teachers typically say they learn more and get more out of the courses than they expect.  They also say the text books for the courses provide them with valuable resources they will apply in the future in their own classrooms. 

Q: What is it that lights your fire in the continuing education world? What are you most passionate about sharing with teachers?

I am the most passionate about keeping teachers excited about what they do. As an educator, I would want a course that can realistically be applied directly to my classroom, provides many benefits for my students, challenges me as a teacher, and reinforces why I chose teaching as a profession in the first place.  I can only expect that teachers taking my courses would be looking for the same thing. On a daily basis, teachers manage and deal with so much more than just educating students. I feel personally compelled to provide educators with additional tools and concepts they can easily apply following the course, in order to help their students fulfill their potential. By identifying and sharing great resources, I also get a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that I’m helping their students. .

Q: What can teachers expect from you when they take your course? What is your style?

My assignments are purposefully targeted for use in the classroom. Each course is designed to extend professional expertise by providing carefully crafted assignments. Teachers can expect my courses to challenge them, engage them, and to provide them with many new strategies for their classrooms. The textbooks required are specifically selected for their applicability, ease of use, and resourcefulness. No dusting required!

Q: What are some of the things you’ve learned from teachers taking your courses that have stuck with you? 

Every teacher who has taken any of my courses reminds me that teaching is a vocation that is not for the faint of heart. The students we teach come from a broad variety of backgrounds and environments.Therefore, tailoring lessons and strategies to meet the diverse needs of students can be challenging.  It is always a joy to read assignments because I often learn about strategies or creative lessons that are new to me. Reading about their “success stories” and the way their students respond are great reminders of what a powerful, positive impact the teaching profession can have and why it is critical to keep students engaged and excited about what they are learning.      

For the month of July, 2017 Kelly's course, The Challenging Preschooler is being featured. Register for 400 or 500 level credit for the same price as clock hours by the end of the month.

Kelly Lickteig lives in Reno, Nevada. She is a native to the Pacific Northwest and grew up in Madras, Oregon. Kelly graduated from Western Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.  During her undergraduate studies, she studied abroad in Macerata, Italy and traveled to several Western European countries. Kelly has  a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Willamette University. Kelly is genuinely passionate about education and enjoys finding the creativity potential in every subject.

Kelly's Courses:

Preschool Mathematics

The Challenging Preschooler

Meeting Social Studies Standards with Picture Books