Dr. Aimee Gruber, EdD in Special Education | Assistant Professor at Murray State University

In this episode, we discuss Aimee’s life-long passion for teaching, what motivated her to earn her doctorate in education and transition from K-12 to university teaching, and her advice for managing work/life balance through setting boundaries.   

Hosted by Michael Wilkinson

To connect with Aimee and to learn more about her story, visit her page on the PHutures #100AlumniVoices Project website.

Transcript

Michael Wilkinson

Hello everyone I'm Co-host Michael Wilkinson and this is the 100 Alumni Voices Podcast stories that inspire where we explore the personal and professional journey of a group of 100 diverse doctoral alumni from Johns Hopkins University. Today we're joined by Aimee Gruber. She received her Doctor of Education in Special Education from Johns Hopkins in 2018 and is currently an assistant professor at Murray State University. Aimee, welcome to the podcast. Great to be talking to you.

Aimee Gruber

Good to be talking to you. Good afternoon.

Michael Wilkinson

Good afternoon. So, I think the first thing that you know you started teaching elementary school 27 years ago, from what I. So, you've been teaching in one form or another for longer than I've been alive, slightly longer than I've been alive, so I was teaching something that you know you always knew you wanted to do, or was that something you kind of came across. You know, as you got a little bit older. And like it has just. Stuck with it this whole time.

Aimee Gruber

I am the weirdo. I always wanted to become a teacher, so I it's something I've always wanted to do and it's something I still love doing. I guess I'm weird. I've always. It's just always been a passion of mine.

Michael Wilkinson

So, what I guess inspired that you know you. Said this has been a passion. Of yours, so are there any like formidable moments in your life? That kind of kicked off that passion? Or what really like? Got that kicked off to begin with.

Aimee Gruber

I you know there's not one certain event or person, I think it's a collection of people just. Over the years. You know, while I was a student in school and then just, you know, even going through the education process with my undergrad program, I just. I love learning. I, I think we've all had teachers that we didn't like that didn't make learning fun. And I love the teachers that made learning fun and I just wanted to keep spreading that and making that happen so that students like school. I wanted to just be a wonderful place for everyone. Feels welcome and they want to learn.

Michael Wilkinson

Yeah, I mean that's. A really that's a really. Admirable goal and I think. You know, especially when it comes to. Elementary High School middle school. I think our teachers are often underappreciated, so it's wonderful to see someone so passionate about it. And you know you've gone now from teaching elementary. To university, which is 2 very different sides of the academic spectrum in terms of like the level of knowledge and the rigor, not the rigor in teaching, but the rigor and, and you know, the knowledge base, so you know what are some of the fun things and some of the challenges that you face on kind of both ends of this pretty wide. Spectrum of education.

Aimee Gruber

Well, some of the I think things that I'm really lucky with, is part of my job is I am a program coordinator and so underneath me I have 12 agents who teach courses for me along with me and my big that's really important for me is I look at my students who are paying good tuition dollars and I want to create a learning environment that's going to set them up for success. So, what's really important for me is to go out into the community and find teachers who are rock stars in their field and bring them in to teach our studio. For example, I'd just like to share a quick little story. I'd like to talk about one of my agent professors, Stephanie. She is a fifth-grade math student, a student, a fifth-grade math teacher, and she teaches my college students the elementary math course. Stephanie is amazing. She has the third highest test scores in the state of Kentucky. Number one in Western Kentucky where we live and so. What she's doing in her classroom works. Everything that she does, the energy, the different assignment strategies, things that she's doing with her students. She knows the formula of what needs to be done because she has won this award many years now and this is who I want to bring in to teach my students our students, I should say Stephanie, to be successful teachers, and so I realized the importance of it. And so being in this position right now, I'd like to bring people like that into power. And, you know, she never thought she'd want to be a college professor like adjunct professor. But it's bringing life to her in a new way in her teaching career. It's energizing her now that she's not only teaching her. Own grade five students, but teaching college level students. We're going to be teachers like her, so I it's so exciting to, you know, make those connections happening.

Michael Wilkinson

Yeah, so from you know from your own teaching experience and from you know viewing people like Stephanie, you know what are some of I guess like the interesting similarities in teaching you know children versus college level adults and you know some of obviously there's probably some differences, but like maybe not as different as we. OK, so yeah, talk to you that a little bit.

Aimee Gruber

Well, you know it's you know school, you know. Obviously you have to have a goal, but you're hoping to, you know this is what we. Need to learn. And this is how we're going to go about learning it. And it's being organized and. Really, being comfortable and knowledgeable yourself of what you're learning and not being afraid. Of yourself, the teacher being able to learn, and that's one thing I can tell you that has not changed from being an elementary level teacher. A middle school teacher, a high school teacher. Even now a college professor is. You have to keep learning, learning the latest strategies, the learning things that we know, the different things that we know that are effective with helping students learn and you know, meet whatever goals that need to be. Met, so that's what I would say.

Michael Wilkinson

So, you know you got your masters. Of elementary education back in 1998. After all those years, you know, because you taught in elementary and in the lower schools for quite some time. So, what made you decide to go back to graduate life all those years later and pursue your you know doctorate.

Aimee Gruber

Well, my we I relocate it and so at that point I kind of had a moment of pause and it was always something I wanted to do. Back when I was in Buffalo, NY, I was an adjunct professor for Buffalo State College, and I taught both on the graduate and undergraduate level for them, and it was something that I never thought that I would love it like I did. And I knew if that was something I wanted to be part of my future, it would need it would require me to get a terminal degree. So, when my husband relocated for his job, just the opportunity was there and I thought I'm going to go after this dream of mine to capture that terminal degree so that I can. Continue teaching on the university level.

Michael Wilkinson

So in in your opinion, if it wasn't for this kind of like not major life change, but you know a stop in perspective, do you think this is something you would have pursued? Or was it that kind of big change that really was the catalyst for you doing? Something like that.

Aimee Gruber

No, I think this was the catalyst for changing because I was very happy with what I was teaching when I was back in teaching in New York State and doing all of that and even just being a part-time adjunct professor, but changing made me stop and say OK. Let's look at my career. Let's look at where I want to go from here. And let's look at, you know, doctoral programs that I think will set me up to be in a position where I am competitive to get a university level job.

Michael Wilkinson

So how did you find your way to Hopkins. You were in Buffalo and then you're in Kentucky and now, you come back to Hopkins for. So, how did that transition, yeah?

Aimee Gruber

Well, I you know the big thing for me is it was balancing family life and going back to school. And I looked at several prestigious universities near where I live. And they wanted full time residency at those universities, and that was not something I was able to do. Thankfully, I know the doctoral program has evolved at Hopkins, but when I was there, we. Had to do. Only a couple of residencies. Which were in the summer or like mid semester when I attend. Ended and my sister and both my sister in laws live in the Baltimore area, so I was able to live with them. And you know, for me to be able to do those residencies, but the other stuff I could do online. So, the Johns Hopkins program at the time was just really a great a great fit for me.

Michael Wilkinson

So besides, I guess, besides being like this really good fit in terms of your work life balance, how do you feel Hopkins kind of prepared? You set you up kind of gave you the tools you needed for teaching at a more permanently at like a university level as opposed to being like an. Adjunct like you were before the degree.

Aimee Gruber

Well, I will tell you this being in the position that I'm in right now, I sit on several interview committees for assistant professors at my university, and being on those committees, one of the first things we look at is dissertation work. And just seeing the quality of the candidate that comes. And what I? Am so thankful for is the rigor and the challenge that Johns Hopkins. Put me through. Now you may go back and ask me years ago when I was in the program, how I felt about it, but I the program there stressed me in a positive way to force me to grow and to learn. And I'm just so thankful for the lessons that I learned from that program, because it has definitely made. Be a stronger and a better college professor and to look at things from a critical lens to understand you. Know, research and just all the good stuff that we need to understand. I think to be an effective college professor.

Michael Wilkinson

You mentioned you mentioned. Viewing dissertation so as someone who is, you know, soon to be writing my own, what, in your estimation makes like a really impactful dissertation and like what are the things that you look for when, I mean different degree fields, but what are the things that you're looking at when you're looking at like really good dissertations of people. You know that you would want to be at your university.

Aimee Gruber

Well, you know there isn't one thing in particular, I will say. But you know, there's certain places that three or four people will go in on one dissertation topic. At university, some universities there's some people that their entire dissertation is 50 pages.

Speaker

Come on.

Aimee Gruber

Including cited and then you even see what their topic is, what they were researching. It's some of them were very soft. You know, not a lot of heavy research and not every place needs to be like that. Mean, let's face it, it's Johns Hopkins. We need to be special. We need to raise the bar. But I was glad that Johns Hopkins does have that they have that recognition. That's why you know you stop when you hear someone went to Johns, graduated from Johns Hopkins, you know that there's rigor, and there's a respect there because you know, you know that there's serious research going on. In any project going on. There and it's just it makes you. Stand back and reflect on your own. Process that you went through. That you're going to go. Through and let me tell you, you will look back on it and you will be thankful that you put all that work into it. Believe me you will, you know. Because not everybody does it. And not every you know. University does it, but Johns Hopkins does. And you will be happy to show off that diploma that you will earn when you graduate.

Michael Wilkinson

Yeah, I think. That's what a lot of you know. One of the things that is often talked about at Hopkins is like impostor syndrome. And this idea of, like you know, am I really worthy of this degree and you know what actually I have, so it's nice to hear from someone who reviews a bunch of dissertations that like Hopkins is giving you the adequate operation and training to be impactful out in the world. And to make people pause a little bit. I'm going to pivot a little bit here just because I don't really know as much as someone who comes. From mechanical engineering. What, you know, Professor of Education looks like. So, I wanted to ask. You know what does your role look like besides serving in the various committees that you serve? As far as like the professorship you know, do you do a lot of? Research, or are you more focused on like? Teaching others how to teach and just the methodologies of teaching in general. What is that? What is like your day-to-day like that kind of?

Aimee Gruber

Look like OK so day-to-day.

Speaker

OK.

Aimee Gruber

It's going to sound a little overwhelming so this semester I'll talk about this semester. I'm I am instructing 4 courses. I have 70 students that I advise there are eighty students, not 80 students. There are 80 observations that I'll have to do outside of my course work. On several local committees within the area that deal with educational issues that I have to serve on also, and I have 12 adjuncts that worked under me to teach some of our educational courses. And then the you know the big. Thing is, is that I am the. Bridge with the university to our schools and our school districts. You know when someone leaves, they have a vacancy they call me. We need a math teacher. Who do you have? We've got two people retiring in kindergarten. You know who do you have? Coming up, can you get us their names or just interviewing so and so you? Know apply for this. Job, can you tell us what you think? I will tell you so. I am in charge of the Paducah campus for Murray State. And since I have been in this. Job we. 100% placement rate for students when they graduate from our program. Getting teaching jobs so. I am very, very proud of the work that we're. Doing here and it's it. It is a team thing. It's not a one-person thing, but having all those things and being involved in the community and teaching them what they need to know to be an effective teacher is so in.

Michael Wilkinson

So, you mentioned you advised 70 students, so I'm curious what advising looks like on your end because you know, my advisor advises, I think 15 PhD students and I see how overwhelmed he is, so I can't imagine multiplying that by almost five. So, what does what does advising look like in your role, when you advise students?

Aimee Gruber

So basically, I we, I sit down a lot sometimes. I have a lot of kids who. Transferring from other. Universities, so we look at what courses they've taken. What we can course substitute and then from there we make a plan of. These are the courses you're going to take this semester, maybe in the summer and the fall. We make the and then we talk about, you know the licensing exams when you have to take that when orientation is. Because I run that orientation program. We I. Just basically go. Over those things, it's not what your advisor does. Don't be alarmed, it's not. Like it's not like that at all, it's the.

Speaker

OK.

Aimee Gruber

Cards when they first get in is where you really put the time forth to make. Everything's in and they're getting credit for their courses, but after that you know they're a train that's on the track, so it's very easy at that point admission, you know the advisor process can. It gets easier and less time consuming as they move through the program.

Michael Wilkinson

That makes a. Lot of sense. So, you manage, you know. You kind of practice it with. I don't want to overwhelm me with the amount. I do so you do quite a lot and I know you know a lot of students who are managing a bunch of different things throughout the grades. Like always wonder how people who do so much can manage all of that and how, what their skills they use for managing. So, what is it? I know there's never really a secret sauce to these things, but what is like your secret sauce for managing all of the various aspects of your profession and all the different things you do? And all of these students that you're advising. And just a lot. Of stuff like you said, that would be overwhelming to someone just kind of like stepping into the door.

Aimee Gruber

Well, you know I've been doing it for a while, so it's not as overwhelming to me anymore. And I'm just one of those people I'm very organized. I'm very type A and I'm not top of getting things. Done and I. Think that's really the key to success is being on top of things you know, especially because. It's a teacher program. My feeling is that I need to be the first teacher to my students. I need to model. This is how a teacher is supposed to be. You know you're going to give me a major assignment. I'm giving it back to you within a week. And why am I doing that? Because that's what good teachers do. They don't wait two months to give you back an assignment.

Speaker

If you want.

Aimee Gruber

Feedback on something you want it right away. What's fresh in your mind when you did that assignment? So those are things that I do. In my courses. Because I think it's important like I. Said staying organized on top of things. Make it easier. I look at my calendar and I say OK, I have a huge assignment due I. Know to clear. Some things in my schedule that week so that I have the time to sit there and do what I need to do. As a teacher of you know of these students.

Michael Wilkinson

So, you know we started part of this off by you mentioning your work-life balance and part of why you pursued your degree at Hopkins was that work-life balance. So, what does you know, given all of the things you to stay on top of and this kind of, you know, deep effort that you put into this. What is your work life balance look like now? And how do you know, how do you prioritize and how do you maintain it?

Aimee Gruber

I think you really have to have a boundary. You know something that I learned and that I have I've stolen from Johns Hopkins and I have shared it with. My edge and professors. I've never seen this before until I got to. Hopkins and that was. On one of my course syllabi, the syllabus for one of my courses there were maybe was a couple of them. They had a distinct. Thing in there about office hours saying something like. You know, after Thursday afternoon until Monday morning, don't expect a response from your college professor. And the more I thought about that. I love that because you're creating a little bit of boundary and protection between your personal and your professional life. Especially nowadays with social media and students wanting immediate feedback and a response from everything. I think we need to stand back and protect us a little bit. I know I've had a couple of students you know bugging teachers in my program, you know, on a Saturday night you know reaching out to them messaging them.

Michael Wilkinson

I've had that happen too as a. TA, and that happened too.

Aimee Gruber

It's like yeah, and I think you know you need to start off this semester and say: Hey, I'm here to help you. I know the part you may have a project doing on Monday, but you need to get your act together the week before to ask me a question. Because if it comes in on Friday morning or Saturday morning, I'm not. I don't expect me to respond back to you so. I think that helps. Because then I know I can say OK. I I'm not looking at my work e-mail and I don't have my work e-mail hooked up to my personal e-mail which helps so that I create that boundary. So, if kids are emailing me on a Saturday, I don't have to look at it unless I choose to go look at it.

Michael Wilkinson

And that's a very smart strategy. I think a lot of students you know, especially because when the people bugging you are not students but advisors and they're suddenly a little bit more of a power differential there. I think you know boundaries is something. That a lot of us both struggle. With they really need to. Be doing so. It's nice to hear. And someone who manages so many different things. How you've put up those boundaries. So, I guess you know along that line. What advice do you have to students on? How to. To effectively and professionally set up those boundaries, especially when they might not be in the position of kind of like overseeing in the position of power that you find yourself in a little bit.

Aimee Gruber

Well, you know, just you know, for teachers, for students you know my college students, let me say, especially with their going to schools and everything you know. Just you know the big thing. I talked to them about #1 is. Everyone's going to look at your social media. Everyone, even those little students, you better clean it up. You better clean it up. I think that's the first thing I think we need to keep it real with students with these future teachers that they need to realize that, and I think that's the first thing with the boundary because people are. Going to look. At your stuff, and if you don't want them looking at your stuff, then you shouldn't be putting that stuff. I think that's the big thing I would say to anybody moving forward into this. You know career path, especially teaching because you are a community partner as a teacher and you are, people are going to scrutiny.

Speaker

My shoe.

Michael Wilkinson

Yeah, I think that's something that is very difficult. Thing for people to cope with nowadays is to kind of keep their social medias professional in a way you know, I know. Like for example, a lot of people have like LinkedIn and things like that, where that's a little bit easier to keep professional, but maybe like a Facebook or Twitter which is more of like your family and. Friends, it's a little bit harder to do that. Have you ever, I guess, seen? In your position, have you ever seen people like social media come to bite them in the **** a little bit with some of the things they've been? Posting and you know the fallouts of that.

Aimee Gruber

All the time. Unfortunately, all the time. And it, and it's really sad, because if it wasn't there. Back, like when I first. Started teaching it wouldn't be a problem. And it's, it's just it's it. It really is sad. It is sad because the other thing that it does is it can catch people in a lie. You know, oh, I'm sick I can't go to work and then you're posting that you are, you know, on vacation somewhere it it's like you know you need to think about what you're doing, you know. And I don't think people are thinking of it that way. But you just you gotta watch what you're doing and it's and I've seen you. Some schools every school's different, and every school districts different and how they view things are different. You know people posting pictures out, you know, and not that they're doing wrong, but they're out enjoying their weekend with friends, maybe having drinks, but schools don't want to see that their teachers are maybe posting that or being tagged in those pictures. So, it's hard to sometimes have these students understand that maybe your other friends that you hang with are not teachers and it's OK. For them, but. With you with your path to be a teacher. You got to be careful with.

Michael Wilkinson

That stuff, so being careful on social media, setting up boundaries, you've given a. Lot of very important. Career advice to a lot of folks. What is some of the? Best career advice that you've received as you're going through and that maybe. Kind of helped shape.

Speaker

A little bit of.

Michael Wilkinson

How you carry yourself in your own process?

Aimee Gruber

You know, I think, don't be afraid to work hard. Watch those boundaries. It's you know, we see things in the news all the time with students and everything and you. You need to remember what you're doing. Keep a professional find. A good mentor. That was really the best advice. I got when you get to a school or a new place that you're working, find a mentor, you know. I tell my own, you know, people want to be teachers. I always tell them go to the main office secretary and ask her who she recommends as a teacher mentor you. Why do I say that? Because she works with the principal and she types up all the teachers’ evaluations every year, so she knows who the good teachers are who don't get in trouble. And so, she'll tell you someone or. He will tell you. Someone who you should be working with who. Can you know help you?

Michael Wilkinson

Yeah, I think mentorship is extremely good mentorship, especially is extremely important. It's kind of built into like the doctorate model a little bit, so it's interesting to hear. Kind of how that happens. Even just at like a professional environment, so I. I have two questions left to. Ask just running out. On time a little bit. So, I think the 2nd to last one I'll ask is you know what are some of the fun aspects of what you do on a not even just on a day-to-day but in general, and like what are some interesting things that you've been working on? 

Aimee Gruber

OK, so I'm going to share with you just a little story minute. I love inspiring people who never thought about going into teaching to go into teaching. I love it. I there's this beautiful young woman in her early 20s named Taylor. She graduated with a biology degree and I see her at the Tennis Center just kind of. Hanging out there, picking up balls, doing nothing. And I don't know what got into. Me but. Like after she was there for a year. I don't know why I said this. Must be the New Yorker in me that I'm so bold. I went up to her and I said, Taylor, I know you have a teaching. I mean, not a teaching. I know you have a degree in biology. Right, she said yes, I said what are you what are you doing here? Then what what's going on? You know, are you? Looking to trying to get into something another program, a Master’s program or something she's like. Oh, I don't know. What I'm going? To do I. Said, have you ever thought about teaching? She, like I can't be a teacher. I don't have what it takes. I've looked into it but they told me I didn't. And I looked at her and I said, you're wrong. I bet you I could get you hired by the end of the week. I said because I know the school down the street needs an AP biology teacher and I think you would be great all right. So, take a long story and make it very short for this. Now, a year later, Taylor did get hired by the end of the. Week she is kicking butt in that position. Is the AP Biology and biology teacher at this high school. The students love her. I have run into her. Administrators have stopped me in the middle of meetings to tell me. Thank you for sending her their way and she's now this year also going to be the varsity tennis coach. There and you see Taylor now to where you saw a year ago, she glows, the happiness coming out of her. She has an identity and she feels like she's making a difference and she never thought she had a career path like this so I am just again that's, you know. Kind of what inspires me. And why I love doing my job?

Michael Wilkinson

Yeah, that's you know it's really incredible to hear these stories of people really being. Successful and I. Think it's a? Really awesome position that you find yourself in that you have all these connections and that you're able to make these connections. So, you touch on. A little bit, but to kind of. Wrap it up. I'll ask you know what does inspire you now? Is it really just kind of getting people into these positions that you know are going to be good fits and kick butt? Are there kind of other aspects of? What you do that inspire you? What is like the thing? That really inspires you.

Aimee Gruber

I'll tell you. What really inspires me more than anything, is when I go to these schools because I'm going there to observe. You know my students teach and I see former students of mine who successively landed jobs and seeing what their classroom looks like, seeing what they're teaching. Seeing the looks on their students’ faces and I'm kind of evil, but talking to their students, I'll pull them aside and I'll ask them, how is you know how is Mrs. Russell doing? Is she doing a good job, you know, tell me about her and seeing the smiles on their face when they are talking about the love they have for their teacher, it just reinforces to me. This is what I'm. Supposed to be doing. Thank you, Johns Hopkins, for letting me earn this degree with you so that I would be in this position to advocate and help these students become the teachers that we need teaching our students.

Michael Wilkinson

Wonderful I would say I would argue that you're not evil, probably. The exact opposite because. You mentioned that in jokes. But no, it's. Been absolutely wonderful talking to you. Thank you so much for your time and I and I know many others. Look forward to hearing from you again.