Wintermantel honored for inspiring next generation of educators

With more than two decades in Baker’s classrooms, Dr. Amy Wintermantel, professor of education, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Jennie Howell Kopke and Verda R. Kopke Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Wintermantel was recognized during Baker’s May 18 commencement ceremony at the George F. Collins Jr. Sports & Convention Center. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize and honors faculty who demonstrate outstanding teaching, inspire academic growth in their students, and embody the character and values of the university.

A Calling to Serve

Before finding her way back home, the Baldwin City native spent nearly two decades teaching special education in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. “I had an incredible professor who once told me ‘Don’t go where you’re wanted. Go where you’re needed,’” Wintermantel said. “That’s what started everything.” Guided by advice from her undergraduate mentor at Bethany College, Dr. Bud Benson, she accepted a role in a rural school that had never employed a special education teacher. With no phone, no peers in her field, and few resources, she relied on research, creativity, and relationships to provide them with the tools they needed to succeed. The experience was transformative, affirming her calling to the classroom and shaping the servant-leader approach she brings to her work with future educators at Baker.

That same mindset—meeting challenges with purpose, adaptability, and compassion—stayed with her as she returned to Kansas to pursue her master’s degree at Emporia State University and continue teaching special education at the elementary level. She earned her doctoral degree at Kansas State University. While balancing full-time teaching and adjunct work, she received a visit from Dr. Bill Neuneswander, who was then serving as dean of Baker’s School of Education. “He believed it was time for me to come to Baker,” she said. “At first, I thought he meant to continue adjunct work. But he meant full time.” The decision to leave public education wasn’t easy, but it marked the beginning of a new chapter—one focused on preparing the next generation of educators. She joined the full-time faculty in 2006.

Inspired by the Content

On campus, Wintermantel teaches a wide range of education courses, including Special Education, Psychology of the Exceptional Learner, and multiple teacher-preparation seminars. She also leads the dyslexia training required by the Kansas Department of Education.

Wintermantel’s approach to teaching has always been rooted in storytelling, real-world application, and a deep belief in purpose. “I’ve always believed that if I’m not inspired by the content anymore, it’s time to stop teaching,” she said. “But I’m still inspired—and when I am, the PowerPoint slide is never enough. It’s about the story, the spark, and the connection.”

Wintermantel challenges her future educators to value every student, especially the ones who are the hardest to reach, and to lead with intention, not performance. “Education is about being a servant leader,” she said. “You won’t always have good days, but you can always make a difference.”

The Ripple Effect

That philosophy of valuing every student and leading with intention influences her own approach to teaching, including how she refines her assignments and especially the way she encourages what she calls a “productive struggle,” challenging students to grow while continuing to provide support. “I hope I’ve done something that makes my students stronger, because when they go out and make an impact, that ripple keeps going,” Wintermantel said.

Receiving the Kopke award, she added, is a reminder of that ripple. “It’s meaningful because it says you’re valued for what you’ve contributed. Mr. Kopke chose to invest in education—when so many people don’t—and that says everything.”