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.