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Education Alumni Profiles: Allison Frizzell-Kizer ('13)
January 01, 2020
"You never know what type of day a student is having when they come to your classroom,
and you never know what struggles they’re facing at home or in other environments.
So, if you can make your classroom a safe haven, do it. If you can make them smile,
do it. If you can make them laugh, do it. Once you gain their trust, they’ll work
for you."
Allison Frizzell-Kizer heard about Ouachita through volleyball camp at UNT. She chose Ouachita because as soon as she stepped on campus, she had an “at home” feeling. “I had a feeling of peace the moment I visited.”
Allison started out in the accounting field, but changed her major to mathematics and teaching because she wanted to coach. “Because of OBU, I was able to get a fantastic degree in my field of study, be the graduate assistant of the volleyball program, and go on to be the head coach of an established high school as my first job. Now I am the head volleyball coach at Ouachita and I am beyond blessed to be back home!”
When asked how OBU prepared her for her career, Allison stated how she was prepared in multiple ways. “I learned time management, I learned how to create engaging lesson plans, and during student teaching, I learned how to connect with students. Ouachita gave me the confidence to go out into the work field and be confident in my teaching and coaching abilities while growing in my faith and letting that shine in my career.”
When thinking of her favorite OBU Education Program memory, Allison remembers the student teaching portfolio and interview process. “One of my favorite memories was completing the portfolio and enduring the exit interview process. At the time, you work up all the possible scenarios that could go wrong, like not completing the portfolio or forgetting what examples you wanted to use to the professors interviewing you, but now I look back and realize that the portfolio interview prepared me for my first major job interview where I had ten administrators throwing questions at me, and I was able to stay calm and answer their questions like I knew how.
Looking back over her years of teaching, one of Allison’s favorite P-12 classroom memories was when a student told her “I only come to school because of you.” “I realized that math wasn’t their only all-consuming class period of the day. If I could make their day go better by a smile or a high five, I found a way to do it, and I quickly realized that building relationships with each student was a way to get them involved in the classroom.”
“Believe in your students, and once they see you believe in them, they will start to believe in themselves. The end result is remarkable.”
Thank you, Allison Frizzell-Kizer, for being a life changing educator!
Allison Frizzell-Kizer:
- Class of 2013
- BA Mathematics and Secondary Education and Coaching Endorsement - Ouachita Baptist University
- MSE in Educational Leadership - HSU
- Advanced Math Modeling, Algebra 2, Head Varsity Volleyball Coach - Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, AR
- Coach of the Year for 5A South Conference (4 Years in a Row)
- West All-Star Coach - 2016
- Head Volleyball Coach –Ouachita Baptist University, 2018
Allison Frizzell-Kizer heard about Ouachita through volleyball camp at UNT. She chose Ouachita because as soon as she stepped on campus, she had an “at home” feeling. “I had a feeling of peace the moment I visited.”
Allison started out in the accounting field, but changed her major to mathematics and teaching because she wanted to coach. “Because of OBU, I was able to get a fantastic degree in my field of study, be the graduate assistant of the volleyball program, and go on to be the head coach of an established high school as my first job. Now I am the head volleyball coach at Ouachita and I am beyond blessed to be back home!”
When asked how OBU prepared her for her career, Allison stated how she was prepared in multiple ways. “I learned time management, I learned how to create engaging lesson plans, and during student teaching, I learned how to connect with students. Ouachita gave me the confidence to go out into the work field and be confident in my teaching and coaching abilities while growing in my faith and letting that shine in my career.”
When thinking of her favorite OBU Education Program memory, Allison remembers the student teaching portfolio and interview process. “One of my favorite memories was completing the portfolio and enduring the exit interview process. At the time, you work up all the possible scenarios that could go wrong, like not completing the portfolio or forgetting what examples you wanted to use to the professors interviewing you, but now I look back and realize that the portfolio interview prepared me for my first major job interview where I had ten administrators throwing questions at me, and I was able to stay calm and answer their questions like I knew how.
Looking back over her years of teaching, one of Allison’s favorite P-12 classroom memories was when a student told her “I only come to school because of you.” “I realized that math wasn’t their only all-consuming class period of the day. If I could make their day go better by a smile or a high five, I found a way to do it, and I quickly realized that building relationships with each student was a way to get them involved in the classroom.”
“Believe in your students, and once they see you believe in them, they will start to believe in themselves. The end result is remarkable.”
Thank you, Allison Frizzell-Kizer, for being a life changing educator!
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