Nancy Cook began teaching at Hope in 1986 as a part-time professor and later as a half-time professor while teaching at Hamilton Community Schools. After 16 years at Hope, she accepted a full-time position. She directed the 快猫短视频 Department of Education鈥檚 student teaching program from 2003 until 2020.

She is the faculty co-sponsor of the student chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children and co-director of the Hope Comes to Watts May Term.

During her spring 2021 sabbatical, Nancy is working on two articles: 鈥淜urt鈥檚 Story鈥� and 鈥淪upport Moves That Cement Professional Learning.鈥�

Areas of expertise

Nancy has been working in the field of special education since 1973. She holds a Michigan elementary teaching certification with endorsements in cognitive impairments, learning disabilities and fine arts. She currently has more than 40 years of experience teaching in the field. In addition to being knowledgeable about student teaching, her other areas of specialization include teaching students with learning disabilities, cognitive impairments and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Education

• M.A., special education-learning disabilities, Michigan State University, 1978
• B.A., special education-cognitive impairments, Michigan State University, 1973

Honors, grants and awards

Awards

• Janet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Award, 2017
• Provost鈥檚 Award for Service to the Academic Program, 2009
• Outstanding Faculty/Staff Person (selected by senior class), 2000

Grants

• Jacob E. Nyenhuis Summer Faculty Development Grant (with Dr. Susan Brondyk)
• Teagle Grant 鈥� 鈥淲riting in the Special Education Major,鈥� (with professors Susan Cherup, Jane Finn and Kimberly Arsenault)
• Provost鈥檚 Summer Grant 鈥� 鈥淩eading in Special Education Programs,鈥�
• Frost Center Grant 鈥� Special Education Team: 鈥淐EC Accreditation Project鈥�
• Provost鈥檚 Grant 鈥� 鈥淐halk & Wire Data Analysis鈥�
• Dean for the Social Sciences/Provost鈥檚 Grant 鈥� 鈥淒eveloping & Preparing for an ePortfolio System鈥�
• McGregor Grant for Collaborative Faculty/Student Research 鈥� 鈥淒eveloping a Data Collection System,鈥�
• 快猫短视频 Assessment Committee & Dean for the Social Sciences 鈥� 鈥淒eveloping an Assessment Plan for the Education Department鈥�
• Faculty Development Grant 鈥� Collaborative Book Project
• Cole Faculty Development Fund/Yntema Family Faculty Development Fund 鈥� 鈥淯nderstanding by Design鈥� Institute

Presentations

• 鈥淩hyme or Reason? Selection of Reading Programs in the Special Education Setting,鈥� Council for Exceptional Children, Nashville, Tenn.
• 鈥淭he Student Teaching Seminar:  Best Practice,鈥� Hawaii International Education Conference, Honolulu
• 鈥淭he Student Teaching Seminar,鈥� American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, New Orleans, LA
• 鈥淟earning Centers,鈥� Yapa Teachers Conference, Bodrum, Turkey
• 鈥淭he 100th Day of School,鈥� Yapa Teachers Conference, Bodrum, Turkey
• 鈥淵oung Children with Disabilities,鈥� Yapa Teachers Conference, Antalya, Turkey
• 鈥淯sing the Room to Teach,鈥� Yapa Teachers Conference, Antalya, Turkey
• 鈥淯sing the Chalk & Wire ePortfolio System,鈥� 快猫短视频
• 鈥淭ips for the Supervising Teacher,鈥� Cooperating Teachers Conference
• 鈥淎DHD 鈥� What It Is & What To Do," Christian Educators Conference, South Bend, In.

Selected publications

• A Story of Transformation: How One Educator Preparation Program Reinvented Student Teaching (with Susan Brondyk), Peter Lang Publishing, 2020
• 鈥淎ssessment,鈥� in Finding Our Way, An Anthology, 2004
• 鈥淏e a Super Supervising Teacher,鈥� Instructor, August 1988
• 鈥淥n Our Own,鈥� Christian Science Monitor, October 1986
• 鈥淟essons From Thomas,鈥� Christian Science Monitor, June 1986

Outside the college

Nancy actively serves on many committees at her church, Christ Memorial. She has been involved in several ministry efforts with schools and teachers in Turkey that serve students with disabilities. She is the board secretary for the Kardelen Mercy Ministries in Ankara. 

Nancy serves on the Special Education Ministry Board in Holland and is currently serving as board president. 

She is married to Brian, a local builder, and is the mother of Megan Wood 鈥�02 Reilly. Megan is married to Sean Reilly, who serves as the Director of Health and Fire Safety at Hope. They have blessed Nancy with two adorable grandchildren, Emma and Kaiden, both of whom are already planning to attend Hope. Nancy and Brian are raising their third grandchild, Carter, who is also partial to the orange and blue.

She loves to do word and number puzzles, read, walk their Springer Spaniel, Toby, and spend precious time at their cottage on Twin Lake in Twin Lake, Michigan.