Brittany Miller

 

 

1. What is your educational background from SRU and what positions have you held?

I graduated with my BSEd in Secondary English in January 2015 (after the winter session), having student taught at Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh Public. I was offered a full-time sub position at Allderdice at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year and by February 2016, I was hired permanently; I have been here ever since. I currently teach two sections of English 3 PSP (11th), two sections of English 2 CAS (10th), and a creative writing elective (9-12th). Next year, it looks like I will be teaching English 3 PSP and English 3 CAS/AP.   
*PSP = Promise Scholar Program; CAS = Center for Advanced Study

2. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

I teach a vastly diverse group of students. NICHE rates Allderdice with an A in diversity and as a teacher, I recognize it in a multitude of ways. I try to validate and incorporate aspects of this diversity in my teaching methods, classroom climate, and relationships with students. Being able to sincerely connect with an array of students is often challenging but always rewarding. I have grown tremendously as a person since student teaching and while that probably sounds cliche, I could not mean it more genuinely. Rapport building is important for building a climate students can learn in, and it is the RISE Domain I consistently score highest in. I have found it helps my students in general and it is rewarding for me, as well.

3. What advice would you give to current students who are enrolled in the teacher preparation program, and to SRU students generally?

For prospective teachers, please do not get into education to "save" kids; kids do not need saved--they need someone to believe in them, challenge them, and hold them accountable. I hope they do not watch movies like Dead Poets Society, Stand and Deliver, Freedom Writers, or Dangerous Minds and think that is an accurate norm for what it is like to teach. My other advice would be to refine time management skills before graduating. One needs stellar time management skills in the classroom, grading and planning during prep periods or at home, and balancing all that while pursuing a graduate degree and/or working a second job. Sometimes I work an eighty-hour work week. This school year is the first time in the last ten years I have not needed to work a second job and I will be finishing my MA in the fall. It can be brutal; do not make it harder than it is going to be.

4. Name a SRU experience or faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

I was extremely blessed to have some amazing professors. I was working in the city and commuting one hour each way to SRU three and four times a week. Dr. Pitard, Dr. White, Dr. Oldakowski, and Dr. LaCom (all of the English Dept.), and Dr. Hilton (of the Ed. Dept.), respected my time, challenged me, and supported me. Each of them goes above and beyond for their students and genuinely cares about the quality of their classes, and not only am I a better graduate student (and independent learner) because of their classes, but I'm a better teacher. I owe them a lot. I am also thankful that Dr. Preston placed me in Allderdice for student teaching, especially because I would not be teaching here had he not.

5. What makes a great teacher?

I think a great teacher is someone who, despite sometimes finding his/herself crying in their car because of stress, shows up and tries; it is someone who tries to grow, tries to adapt, and is not afraid to take chances. No teacher, no matter how successful, is perfect every single day because at the end of the day, teachers are human. The difference between an average teacher and a great teacher is how those failures are turned into learning experiences used to create positive change.