Teaching through time
Teaching through time
UNI’s Legacy & Future
The story of teaching at the University of Northern Iowa is, in many ways, the story of American education. Founded in 1876 as the Iowa State Normal School, UNI has grown into Iowa’s largest and most comprehensive teacher preparation program, graduating more than 500 educators annually and ranking among the top 1% of public institutions for education degrees.
Nearly 2,000 teacher candidates — one-fourth of UNI’s undergraduate enrollment — prepare through a shared university-wide effort, with all four colleges contributing to 41 majors and minors leading to licensure. More than 66,000 alumni now carry that tradition into classrooms and communities around the world.
The early years: Laying the foundation
1876-1909
The Iowa State Normal School opens, training teachers to meet Iowa’s growing educational needs.
- Helped professionalize teaching, then often seen as temporary work — especially for women
- Combined subject mastery with pedagogy
- Emphasized character, discipline and civic responsibility
- Launched hands-on practice through the Model School (1883), later the Training School
- Became Iowa State Teachers College in 1909 — emerging as a Midwest leader in teacher education
You can read about teaching methods all you want, but until you’re actually in a classroom working with students, that’s when it becomes real.
Growth and recognition: Expanding the mission
1910-1940
Renamed Iowa State Teachers College, the institution gains national recognition for teacher preparation as four-year degrees become the standard.
- Transitioned to four-year degrees
- Expanded curriculum and advanced educational research
- Campus traditions and student life flourished
- Encouraged graduates to lead in classrooms and communities
- By the 1930s, earned national acclaim for preparing skilled, compassionate educators
“Recently discovered 1915-16 faculty notes show how deeply John Dewey’s ideas shaped UNI’s Campus School — emphasizing hands-on learning and educating the whole child. That philosophy guided preservice teachers in lab classrooms, informed my work launching Cedar Falls’ first Head Start program in 1965-66 and later shaped the development of statewide early childhood standards.”
— Judy Finkelstein ’52, ’68
Professor emerita (1969-2009)
Post-war change: Meeting a new demand
1940s-1960s
Rapid growth in post-war America reshapes teacher preparation.
- Campus School building opened in 1944 (later Malcolm Price Laboratory School)
- Baby boom drives soaring teacher demand
- Expanded programs in special education, counseling and administration
- Launched first graduate degree: Master of Arts in Education in 1951
- Teaching increasingly recognized as a lifelong profession
- Renamed State College of Iowa in 1961 to reflect a broader mission
Telling the Lab School story
In 2020, Robert (Bob) Martin, UNI emeritus professor of history, and Katherine (Kate) Martin, professor emerita, Rod Library, were invited to write the formal 129-year history of UNI’s Malcolm Price Laboratory School. “We agreed to undertake the task because we were aware that although the campus training school had been integral to the institution’s teacher preparation mission since its earliest days, its significance has sometimes been under-appreciated in recent decades as Iowa State Normal School evolved into the University of Northern Iowa,” Bob explained.
In 2024, Bob and Kate Martin completed “The Lab School Story: From Model School to Laboratory School,” covering the school’s first 80 years, now available on the History of Malcolm Price Laboratory School website.
Said Bob, “We are currently working on the last half of PLS’s history, exploring its evolving role in the university’s efforts to successfully negotiate the numerous possibilities and perils inherent in a rapidly expanding, democratizing and diversifying American educational system in an increasingly volatile world.”
Becoming UNI: A comprehensive vision
1967-1980s
The University of Northern Iowa emerges, expanding its academic scope while strengthening teacher education.
- Became UNI in 1967; programs broadened across disciplines
- College of Education established in 1968 as anchor of a campus-wide teacher preparation model
- Schindler Education Center opened in 1973
- Doctor of Education approved in 1982
- Adopted inquiry-based learning, multicultural education and emerging classroom technologies
- Graduates recognized for adaptability and leadership
The values that define teacher preparation at UNI — strong content knowledge, effective pedagogy, meaningful field experience and school partnerships — matter as much today as ever. They will continue to guide how we prepare the next generation of teachers.
Innovation and impact: Adapting to a global era
1990s-2010s
Teacher preparation evolves alongside technology, diversity and global connectivity.
- Expanded focus on literacy, STEM and special education
- Strengthened partnerships for earlier, more frequent clinical experiences
- Integrated digital tools and instructional technology
- Emphasized a students-first approach — social, emotional and academic growth
While technology reshapes classrooms and expands possibilities, it is skilled, reflective teachers who translate those possibilities into meaningful learning experiences for students.
UNI 150: People you should know
James Gilchrist
Role at UNI:
First principal of the Iowa State Normal School
Years at UNI:
1876-1886
David Sands Wright
Role at UNI:
Member of the first faculty & taught the first class at UNI
Years at UNI:
1876-1928
Today & tomorrow: Preparing teachers for what’s next
2020s & beyond
UNI honors its legacy while preparing educators for rapidly changing classrooms.
- Iowa’s leading producer of teachers, with alumni serving statewide and globally
- First comprehensive curriculum redesign in 20+ years
- Streamlined pathways and expanded endorsement options
- Embedded digital, assistive and AI-driven technologies
- Partnering with 100+ Iowa school districts
- Enduring mission: prepare educators who put students first
A legacy that lasts
As UNI enters its next chapter, one promise endures: the commitment to prepare teachers, made in 1876, still guides the university today. By honoring its legacy, evolving through innovation and empowering future leaders, UNI ensures that teaching remains not only a profession, but a calling. And for the next 150 years, UNI-prepared educators will continue to shape the world.
