Staff Profile: Jerrita Staehr, Assistant Professor of Education and Director of Field Experience

Jerrita Staehr has served as a church worker for 25 years, serving in Grand Island, Nebraska; Rockford, Illinois; York, Nebraska and Seward, Nebraska.  Prior to her full-time service, she taught part-time at a Lutheran school in Missouri.  

Staehr received a bachelor of arts in English from Concordia Nebraska in 1995 and her Lutheran Teacher Diploma in 2007. She also has a master of arts in teaching from Missouri State University, which she received in 2008. She is currently enrolled in Ph.D. program in curriculum and instruction at Concordia University, Chicago. 

“Concordia University, Nebraska has adopted the mission of equipping servant leaders for both the church and the community,” she said. “As a student, I was blessed by the Concordia community through the guidance of instructors and the fellowship of encouragement that is part of the experience on our campus. This learning atmosphere supported me, and I became a first-generation college graduate in my family.” 

She has served at Concordia Nebraska since August 2023 as assistant professor of education and director of field experience. 

“Concordia Nebraska is an inspiring place to teach and to learn,” she said. “As the campus community walks in faith together, we are blessed by God's presence at work in our lives. It is a privilege, through the grace of God, to have the opportunity join the Concordia community again as an instructor to support and equip the next generation of educators,” she said. “It is a joy to share the Gospel message and to serve young people who are preparing for work in the harvest field. The students not only are embarking on the journey of a career in education but also an important calling to be a light in the darkness. This ministry is a vital part of Concordia, and it was what first motivated me to attend this university and what inspired me to return.” 

Staehr and her husband Brian ‘94 have four children, all of whom attended Concordia Nebraska. They attend Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York, where she serves as adult choir director and organist. The family enjoys traveling to see family, exploring national parks and visiting historic sites. 

She received the Master Educator Award from Concordia Nebraska in May 2019 when she was serving Trinity Lutheran in Grand Island, Nebraska. She looks forward to each day in the classroom at the university, instructing the next generation of educators as they prepare to serve God’s people. 

“A goal for my classes is to provide avenues for students to learn how to think for themselves, solve problems, propose creative solutions, and walk by faith,” she said. “Becoming a teacher includes linking theory to practice and merging the art and science of teaching into a personal style that encompasses the full spectrum of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Students can expect to explore this in my classes and to learn to take the perspective of an educator.” 

Are you interested in learning more about education major and minor opportunities at Concordia Nebraska? Discover more here.