After 19 years at Rider, Sharon McKool retires

Sharon McKool decided she wanted to be a teacher during the summer after her first year in college. At the time, she was working as a counselor at a camp for underprivileged children in Austin, Texas. 

“I realized that one thing all children need is someone to believe in them and to help them reach their goals,” she says. “So when I started to think about my career, I really thought teaching was where I had the potential to have this kind of influence.” 

McKool, who will retire from Rider University on Aug. 31, did that and more. During a career that spanned from public school teacher to college professor to department chair, she impacted thousands of lives and played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of Rider’s teacher education program.

McKool spent the first five years of her career as a public school teacher before taking a job as a developmental reading educator at Texas State University. It was there that she discovered her passion for teaching literacy to preservice teachers, which inspired her to earn a doctorate in language and literacy studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Since arriving at Rider in 2003, McKool has primarily taught field-based undergraduate literacy courses and taught and supervised student teachers. 

An avid reader herself, she has done extensive research into the factors that motivate children to become readers and writers. What she has found is that the influence of teachers who are themselves passionate about reading is more impactful than things like offering rewards to students.

“Teachers who read on their own time are more likely to read aloud children’s literature, recommend books of interest to children and are able to model a love for reading that comes from being a reader themselves,” she says. 

As chair of Rider’s Department of Teacher Education, McKool has played a key role in enhancing all facets of the department's operations, and has been praised by her colleagues for her problem-solving abilities as well as her flexibility in allowing faculty to create and implement new courses based upon current trends in education.

In her capacity as department chair, she has had a hand in everything from managing faculty workload to hiring and evaluating adjunct faculty, advising students and meeting with faculty to set goals for moving forward in the tenure and promotion process.

Of her many accomplishments, McKool says there are three that stand out the most: being the recipient of the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Chairperson Leadership Award and Michelle McCormack Award, which honors a student organization adviser who has served as an outstanding mentor.

“As I retire, to reflect back and know that I have been recognized for teaching, leadership and mentoring of students allows me to leave feeling like I have made an impact on this place I have called home for 19 years,” she says, “and I hope to be remembered as a colleague who cared deeply about the making of future educators and a chairperson who led by example.” 

A self-described lifelong learner, McKool views retirement as an opportunity to explore new passions and continue her personal growth. She hopes to enroll in courses at her local community college or the University of South Carolina Aiken, where she recently relocated to be closer to her children. She’s considering learning a foreign language or taking nutrition classes, and also plans to take piano lessons.

When she’s not taking classes, McKool is looking forward to spending time with her family, enjoying her new home, playing tennis and golf, and volunteering in the community. 

As she embarks on this next chapter, she says the Rider community will always have a special place in her heart. 

“My fondest memories will always be the relationships with colleagues and students that were established here at Rider," she says. "I truly feel blessed to have had a career that I have loved every single day.”