FGCU: Inspiring Next-Gen Educators with Diane Kratt

Today on Your University: The FGCU Podcast, our host Katie Cribbs meets with Diane Kratt, Assistant Dean for the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, with a special interest in advancing the expansion of school-based mental health. Diane, a Fort Myers native and first-generation college graduate who worked full-time while earning her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees, reflects on Southwest Florida’s growth from the dirt road days of Daniels Parkway to the rise of FGCU as an environmentally conscious university. Diane shares how supportive teachers and mentors were instrumental in shaping her path from K–12 educator to FGCU’s College of Education, her home for nearly 18 years now, and joined the Ed.D. program once it became feasible as a working mom.  Katie and Diane cover the need for regional access to higher education, and College of Ed initiatives addressing teacher shortages, including paid internships through the STAR Program and the Flyers Program and the School Support Personnel Pathway for school employees completing degrees. Diane also discusses exploring AI while still emphasizing teaching’s human element.  Your University: The FGCU Podcast is produced by University FM. Episode Guide: 02:11 FGCU Arrives in SW Florida 03:01 Working Through School 05:51 Why Teaching Chose Diane 07:09 Mentors Who Changed Everything 08:51 From K-12 to Higher Ed 11:46 Community Connections and Environment 17:14 Teacher Shortage Solutions 18:13 Paid Internship Options 21:55 Getting Students Hired Quickly 22:50 Classroom Tech and AI 25:04 Traditional Teacher Prep vs Alternative Pathways 27:22 Why Teachers Matter 28:03 Support and Get Involved 29:44 Final Thoughts and Conclusion Episode Quotes: Educators matters 07:49: I've never found anybody who can't name their favorite teacher. It may not be all of them, I wish it were, but everyone has somebody that they really enjoyed being around and felt valued by and cared for by, and it's usually one of their teachers. Connecting everybody together through the university 12:59:  The community is all pieced together, and the university is now going to be something that could possibly be a hub one day. And all of us are connected. There's so many different people that, over this time period, that I have connected with, from the time I was in K-12 myself to the time I taught in K-12 to the time I became an employee here at the university. There's just so many people that all connect together that it's incredible. Effective happy teachers are the backbone of the society 30:29: Effective, happy teachers, I believe, are the backbone of society. Just as in my story, I was shaped by educators, and education has shaped me into being able to be an administrator for the College of Ed and help all these other students.  Show Links: Diane Kratt | FGCU Profile Diane Kratt | Google Scholar Research Diane Kratt | LinkedIn Student Teachers and Mental Health | Qualitative Study WINK News: Flyers Program Gulf Coast News: School Support Personnel Pathway program combats teacher shortages FGCU360: STAR program FGCU | Website FGCU | Your University Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.