Having been a student in Edwardsville, Sheila Bowens takes great pride in providing her community and school some of the opportunities and encouragement given to her years ago. Teaching first grade at Hamel Elementary School, she concentrates on developing a strong educational base and enriching the lives of her students; she is also a positive role model for her students. Her personal and professional activities focus on the welfare of students; whether they be first graders, former students, or troubled teenagers, Ms. Bowens will do whatever it takes to help children succeed. Her dedication to teaching inspires her to continuously seek further education and training - always striving to be the best she can be.
After completing 35 years in Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7, Sheila J Bowens retired on June 1, 2010. The Milken Award allowed her to serve on several local and state committees. She was a representative for the State of IL in Washington D.C., as a member of the Goals 2000 Forum for several years. She served on State Reading committees where a video was produced of Sheila teaching Guided Reading lessons as a model for other teachers. Miss Bowens most recently ended a 3 year appointment to the State of IL's Teacher Certification Board. She was selected by the IL State Board of Education to take a 4 year leave of absence from her district to become an Educator in Residence. That appointment allowed her to work with teachers throughout the state, teaching teachers "Best Practices" in Reading, Writing and Math; assisting schools with their School Improvement Plans; completing Internal and External Reviews; being a "Coach" for classroom teachers and providing Prodessional Development. These were only a few of the duties.
1975 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, B.S.& M.S.
