Dr. Leigh Monhardt Receives LAE Excellence in Teaching Award

School of Education Professor Dr. Leigh Monhardt recently received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Education. "Since joining UW-Platteville in 2007, Dr. Monhardt has made a tremendous and lasting impact on the lives of students, colleagues, and local school districts through his commitment to exceptional teaching and the preparation of preservice teachers," said Dr. Lindsay Hollingsworth, a fellow professor in the School of Education who nominated Dr. Monhardt for the award.

Each semester, the School of Education's social media accounts feature Student Teacher Spotlights. Student teachers are asked to share favorite memories, and often, Dr. Monhardt is included in those memories - "Dr. Leigh Monhardt taught me so much that goes beyond any textbook. His passion and dedication are what made me want to become a great teacher, not just an average one." - "My favorite memories were all of the experiments and projects in Leigh's class." - "I really enjoyed the fun science projects in Leigh Monhardt's class." - "My favorite memories from my time as an education major at UW-Platteville are the classes I took with Leigh and my classmates."

In addition to being an outstanding teacher, in the Spring of 2025, Dr. Monhardt completed a sabbatical that resulted in the creation of a comprehensive guide on the nature of science for use by future educators. Additionally, he is a co-PI on an NSF grant (totaling $800K) that funds The HOME Scholarship program, providing eligible junior and senior secondary education majors in math or science with scholarships that cover tuition, room and board, and textbooks. "This work directly expands opportunities for students and addresses regional workforce needs," said Dr. Hollingsworth.

Dr. Monhardt grew up in Decorah, IA and originally majored in Music. "Both of my parents were music professors, brother was a music professor, sister was a classroom music teacher, and my oldest brother was a band director - who later became an electron microscope repair man," said Dr. Monhardt. "So, music was a huge part of my background, but I loved music too much to have to listen to beginning clarinets in a Jr. High band, so I went into science."

Dr. Monhardt earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Luther College, followed by a PhD and Master of Science in Science Education from the University of Iowa. After teaching for six years at Utah State University and one year at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, Monhardt returned to the Midwest.

After nearly two decades at UW-Platteville, Dr. Monhardt said there are challenges in education. "The pendulum is constantly swinging from one way of teaching content and concepts to another strategy, and I think that we tend to leave out the most important ingredient when it comes to teaching....The Student!!! Students' needs and interests are all too often not taken into consideration when we are planning how we work with them. We tend to focus on skills and concepts and not so much on the process of learning. We need to have more joy and fun in what we are doing with our students in the classroom."

Beyond Dr. Monhardt's impressive professional contributions, he brings warmth and humor to every interaction. "Whether it is his endless offers to "give away cats" or his quick-witted one-liners during School of Education faculty meetings, he consistently creates an atmosphere of collegiality and joy," Dr. Hollingsworth said. "His humor and kindness enrich the School of Education, and he is a deeply valued colleague."