In the face of a nation-wide special educator shortage, MU’s Department of Special demands the best faculty to ensure quality teacher preparation.

The shortage for special educators has been widely publicized, both in Missouri and across the nation. During each of the last five years, over 12,000 special education teaching openings have had to be filled by unqualified individuals and people who have no special education teaching certification or with certification in other teaching areas. It is a chronic and severe problem that is affecting our nation.

Since 1989, Mike Pullis has been an asset to MU's College of Education and the special education program. His extensive background in behavioral disorders is conveyed in the courses he teaches here at MU.

Pullis has two main areas of emphasis in his past research: conduct disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in children. Through his research efforts and educational background, he is able to construct quality classes for his students.

One of the courses he teaches is "Classroom and Behavior Management" which allows Pullis to use his research on how to handle children that are commonly labeled as, "acting out kids." Pullis described this type of child as aggressive, disruptive, and difficult to handle in a classroom environment. Pullis teaches his students how to delineate between disruptive kids and kids whose actions are influenced by mental issues.

In "Meeting the Needs of All Learners" Pullis addresses how educators can meet the needs of kids that have been seriously abused or have suffered some type of trauma.

From 1995 through 1998, Pullis, along with other MU faculty volunteers from the Teachers as Therapists organization, traveled to areas of the world like Bosnia and Russia to help the children that had been exposed to the war. The children in these war-torn regions hoped to find shelter in their school settings. However, the teachers, too, were distressed from the war and needed assistance when dealing with their students. Pullis assisted and educated the teachers on how to effectively communicate with students in a way that promotes positive mental health albeit living in a volatile environment.

"Dr. Pullis uses his research experience in what he teaches, which makes the information real and useful," said Janelle Essner, a student in Dr. Pullis' Behavior and Classroom Management class. "His assignments help us to apply the concepts we learn in class, so that we begin to understand what it would be like if we had a disability. This helps us understand more about the students and their feelings toward school.

Outside the classroom, Pullis also volunteers for crisis lines in Columbia, Mo.