Sami Fornsaglio

What is your educational background and what positions have you held?  
I graduated in the spring of 2017 from SRU with a dual major in Early Childhood Education and Special Education.  I am currently a first year Intervention Specialist teacher at Karaffa Elementary School in Toronto, Ohio as well as the assistant coach for Toronto Junior High girls volleyball.  

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that each of my students have specific goals catered to their needs and that I am the one who gets to help them reach their goals.

What advice would you give to current students who are enrolled in the teacher preparation program, and to SRU students generally?   
Don't take for granted the support, resources, and opportunities provided by SRU. The staff there are wonderful and have so much wisdom to share. In addition, there are tons of materials available for you to use free-of-charge. For College of Ed. students, there are tremendous field placement opportunities available for teaching experience. Don't be upset if you didn't go to the school you wanted. Embrace the placement you received. Make the most of it and learn as much as you can. ALWAYS take the opportunity to teach because you will learn and grow along the way.

Name an SRU experience or faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.    
Choosing just one faculty member that had a positive influence on myself is hard to do. However, the first person that comes to mind is Dr. Amodei. Dr. Amodei has been with me until the end. Not only was she my professor for multiple courses, but she was also my supervisor during student teaching. She was caring, passionate, patient, and resourceful. She expressed the importance of being an advocate for students. I love how passionate she is. Not only does she care about the kids, but she cares about her students in college as well. During student teaching, I had an emergency, and she was one of the first people I contacted letting her know what happened and that I was not going to be in my placement teaching that day. She was extremely worried about me, how I was doing, and if I needed anything.That kind of love and dedication is hard to come by, and I admire that so much. I look up to her and aspire to be like her. She is my role model. 

What makes a great teacher?
A great teacher is not just someone who makes flawless lesson plans, has the best materials, or is professionally dressed in the most expensive clothing. A great teacher is one who knows their kids, knows their story, and is able to create an environment in which they feel comfortable and accepted. A great teacher knows what their students enjoy and uses that to reinforce their teaching to make it enjoyable. When your students are happy and having fun, you are happy and having fun. A great teacher is an advocate who puts their students on a high pedestal. They help change these kids' lives to reach their potential. Great teachers believe in their students so the students can believe in themselves.