Keith Walkowiak

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

I received my Bachelor of Science in Education degree and K-12 Health/Physical Education teaching license from Slippery Rock University in December of 1998.  Additionally, I received my Master of Science in Education degree in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University in August of 2006. I taught Health and Physical Education at Louisa County Middle School (Mineral, VA) from 2000-2005 and served as an Assistant Principal at the same school from 2005-2010.  Currently, I am the University-School Partnership Coordinator for the Elementary Education program in the Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences within the College of Education at NC State University (Raleigh, NC). 

2.  What has been your most rewarding experience as a teacher/professor? If you cannot narrow it down to one, describe one rewarding experience.

The most rewarding experience of being a teacher/administrator is the relationships and opportunity to work with children and be a positive role model in their lives.  That may not be an immediate reward or a one time moment, but seeing former students years later as they accomplish great things with their lives is very rewarding.  

3.  What attracted you to Slippery Rock University, and in particular, the education department?

I originally entered SRU with the intent of getting into, at that time, the growing physical therapy field.  I was also aware of the outstanding reputation SRU had for Health and Physical Education.  After several honest conversations with Dr. Patricia Pierce and Dr. Betsy McKinley, they advised and guided me through my transition to health/physical education.

4.  What do you love most about teaching?

I love the opportunity to interact with the students, both in their finest moments as well as their times of struggle.  As I transitioned to administration, I feared losing the connection to the students within my classroom.  However, I quickly discovered that, while my interactions may be less, I had the opportunity to speak with students outside of the classroom and on a more personal and intimate level.  In my current position working with pre-service teachers, I can see their growth in understanding the whole child.  For some children, the social emotional learning and growth can be just as important as the content mastery.

5.  What makes a great teacher?

Pedagogy, content, instruction are all vital pieces to teaching, but they are nothing without relationship building.  That applies to kindergarten students all the way up through college or post-graduate students.  Taking the time to extend a handshake, a ‘how are you doing?’, or simply a listening ear can have a profound impact on and validate someone.  If a student feels like their voice is heard, it can allow them to step out of their comfort zone and take risks with their learning.

Anna Roe

1. What school district and grade/s do you currently teach?

After graduating from Slippery Rock University in 2018, I moved to Houghton, MI which is in the very northern part of the Upper Peninsula (yes, we do get a lot of snow up here!). I was hired by the Copper Country Intermediate School District this year to teach in their Early Mild Cognitive Impairment Program. My students range from kindergarten to 2nd grade and have various disabilities. It's definitely challenging on some days but I absolutely love my students, and I have an amazing team of paraprofessionals and coworkers who help make everyday successful and fun!

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

There are so many rewarding aspects of my job, but one thing I absolutely love is when my students show progress in their goals. After working so hard on a goal or objective, it's amazing to see my students start to show their understanding of what we have been working on. Whether it's showing an increase in ready to learn behaviors, independently identifying numbers up to 10, or being able to clearly communicate needs, I absolutely love getting to celebrate the big and small successes that my students have! 

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

At a training this year, the speaker who presented said something that has stuck with me this school year. He said, "The students in your classroom who are the hardest to love are the ones who need love the most.” You are going to have those hard students in your field experiences, during your student teaching, and in the classroom that you teach in after you graduate. Those students are going to stretch your patience, emotionally drain you, and make you wonder if you're doing your job right. You just have to remember that most of those students are coming from hard home lives or have been hurt in some way to cause the acting out. I know it can be hard sometimes, but don't forget to love on your difficult students as much as you love on the ones who are easy to love and teach.

4. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

I had so many great experiences at Slippery Rock so it's very hard to choose just one experience that I'll never forget. Probably the most memorable experience I had was becoming a member of the Musical Theatre Society. I had loved doing theater before coming to college and hoped to find a way to continue doing that. My (now) boyfriend encouraged me to try out for their fall cabaret and I'm so happy I did. I met a lot of wonderful people, got to continue doing something I loved, and made a lot of great memories!

5. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is made up of many things and I could probably go on and on about that. Overall, I think a great teacher is someone who genuinely cares for their students and does more than what is required of them. They go out of their way to help their students be successful at school whether that's making sure there are snacks for the one student who always comes in hungry or staying late at school to plan lessons and activities that will push their students to become independent. They encourages mistakes in their classroom and reminds students to learn from those mistakes. They meet the needs of every child in their care, and advocate to give students the education and services that they deserve. 

Carly Bacha

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

I graduated in 2014 with a degree in early childhood education and Special education. I re-enrolled in Slippery Rock University in 2017 and obtained my Masters in Special Education Supervision with my Administration Certification.

2. What do you love most about teaching?

Since I graduated, I have been teaching in Arizona. Within the five years I have lived here, I have taught in two districts in Multiple Disability Programs, one of which I helped my current district open and bring to one of their schools. I love working with this population of students and helping them become active members of both their school and their surrounding community. It is a joy to teach others to include all students and all students are so capable. The most exciting thing about being a teacher in these classrooms, is to figure out how to adapt and modify all aspects of the classroom and school so that my students can fully participate and be as independent as possible. 

3. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

While I was a student at SRU, traveling became a tremendous passion of mine! I was fortunate enough to travel to Costa Rica, Sweden, Italy and Jamaica to observe, learn and work in the different school systems in each country. I also traveled to Peru and learned about their art history. I even finished my student teaching in Ireland. These experiences not only gave me a well-rounded understanding of different school systems and ways of teaching, but it also helped me become the teacher I am today, willing to always try new things and give my students unique learning experiences. The professors that created these trips for us gave us phenomenal opportunities to see the world and how education has evolved or is evolving. 

4. What attracted you to Slippery Rock University, and in particular, the education department?

I knew Slippery Rock University was ranked very high as a university in general and also had an amazing Education Department. Many of the professors I had, had so many experiences and real-life situations they were able to share, which I learned so much from. I also loved the town and our campus was beautiful!

5. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is someone who is willing to make the impossible, possible for all students. When they see an obstacle, they do not get discouraged, they become excited in wanting to figure out a solution to a problem. A great teacher never says, 'a student can't or is unable to do something', but instead says 'how can we help them succeed?'. A great teacher pushes each student to meet their individual potential, then pushes them even further. A great teacher works well in a team and learns from all parties involved. A great teacher is an advocate for all students.

Lindsay Westwood

1. What school district and grade/s do you currently teach?

I currently teach French 1-4, with students in grades 9 through 12 at Ringgold High School.

2. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
We all know that it’s not the high pay that is the most rewarding aspect of teaching.  All joking aside, teaching is easily the most challenging but most rewarding job out there. Having a student say that they love French, they look forward to French class every day, or that they feel they can relate to me all are what makes the 10-hour days worth it.

3. What advice would you give to current students who are enrolled in the teacher preparation program?
With the heavy emphasis placed on standardized testing, lesson planning, and unit building, NEVER lose sight of the students in your class. Students are more than just numbers and data. They’re people with thoughts, feelings, and emotions; make sure they’re heard. 

4. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

The spring of my junior year, in 2017, I was able to study abroad in Cannes, France. My time there I made so many memories and met amazing people through my travels.  My abilities in the French language and culture grew, but I also became more independent, confident, and outgoing, which helps me in the classroom. There’s a whole world out there and I was grateful to experience another country’s language and culture. 

5. What makes a great teacher?

They are passionate, dedicated, driven, empathetic and enthusiastic--even on their worst days. A great teacher also not only teaches, but inspires their students to become the best that they can possibly be.