Dr. Shelly Furuness | Middle/Secondary Professor
by Erin Morrisey
Dr. Furuness was my professor for my first-ever education class. I found myself in the basement of Jordan Hall, learning about what set the Butler College of Education apart from any other education program I could have chosen. All throughout my first semester, after visiting classrooms and listening to guest speakers, Dr. Furuness tasked us with detailing how our experiences correlated to the COE’s core values. As the class progressed, I became more convinced that Dr. Furuness herself was a beautiful example of every core value.
Appreciation of Diversity and Similarity
It’s clear that Dr. Furuness simply can’t imagine teaching as an individual experience. Even in her own classroom, she’s constantly influenced by others: their visions and hopes and how it’s possible to make those hopes become a reality.
When I took Core I with Dr. Furuness, this desire to integrate everyone into the classroom was tangible. The interactions that she had with fellow teachers were filled with a deep respect, and students were cared for in every situation. It’s Dr. Furuness’s focus on all students in her classroom that made me feel so at home on Butler’s campus.
Excitement of Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring
Even though the “teacher path” was always what Dr. Furuness knew she wanted to follow, it never allows her to settle. She describes her career at Butler as offering “a life of purpose and meaning.”
Dr. Furuness started her master’s program simply to renew her license. After seven years in the classroom, she decided to return to higher education full-time at Butler University. During this time, she worked as a grad assistant and it was such a great experience, she “never wanted to leave.” When Dr. Furuness began pursuing her doctorate at IU (at one of the top curricular and instructional programs in the nation) she realized she had found her dream job. She loved being in the collegiate atmosphere because it was one place where opportunities, purpose, and meaning were abundant. Similarly, Dr. Furuness loves being at Butler because it’s the place where she’s able to do what she wants and work how she best works in the classroom.
Challenge of Integrated Practice & Collaboration
Dr. Furuness said one of the main reasons she came to Butler was because a teacher she respected was pursuing her master’s here. Dr. Furuness came simply for licensure but stayed because, when she found this community, she never wanted to leave.
As Dr. Furuness has dove deeper into Butler University and furthering the COE vision and mission, she’s experienced new projects and worked with others to continue building up the profession of education. On January 11 of this year, the Teach to Lead summit was hosted by Butler (and co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education). At this summit, alumni and professors discussed inspiring, groundbreaking methods and ideas for the field of education.
Strength of Integrity and Responsibility
As the curriculum director, Dr. Furuness says she “never has to be stuck.” Curriculum offers the constant chance for improvement of the college, students, and professors. It forces a constant reevaluation of values and experiences.
As the curriculum designer for the COE, Dr. Furuness has been working to integrate content and methods courses. For example, Core II (the second semester education class students take) has been relatively redesigned in the hopes of creating more intentional connections between theories, content, and practices. With this continued development, support of faculty is constantly necessary. The hope in redesigning the COE curriculum is that no class is an individual experience. Dr. Furuness deeply believes in dynamic classes, so each course should be influenced by other classes.
Dr. Shelly Furuness speaks at the 2017-18 State of The University address.