Jordan Militello

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

I graduated from Slippery Rock University in May of 2020 with a major in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I currently teach at Pinellas County School District in Florida. I am teaching in a Kindergarten and 1st grade Autism Spectrum Disorder self-contained classroom. In December I will be transitioning to a 2nd grade classroom. 

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

I will never forget during my student teaching when we got sent home and had to go fully online due to the pandemic. My supervisor, Dr. Erickson made sure that we were going to be prepared to graduate. He had administrators from many different schools join our zoom meetings to practice interviewing and to give us advice. During those few months, he provided support and made me feel confident that I was prepared to graduate even though we were not traditionally student teaching. 

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why. 

Dr. LaGamba. She took the time to know all of us both as students and future teachers. During field, no matter the time of the day, she always made sure to check-in and to see if we needed anything. Dr. LaGamba was very supportive, provided guidance and assistance. 

4. What initially peaked your interest in pursuing a degree in education? 

I have always had interest in being a teacher. I want each of my students to know that they can do anything as long as they work their hardest and set goals. 

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

A lot of my students are non-verbal or have limited communication skills. I have been teaching them sign language. When one of my students signed “please” and “thank you” without any prompting I felt a sense of accomplishment. At that moment, I realized that all of the prior daily prompting to use sign language had paid off. 

6. What makes a great teacher? 

I believe a great teacher is someone who teaches from the heart, shows compassion and concern for each student. 

Megan Wild

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

I studied Early Childhood and Special Education at SRU as a dual major. As a recent grad in May, I have been fortunate enough for the opportunity to be a long term sub at Chartiers Valley Primary School. I am currently a first-grade teacher until the end of the school year.

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

One experience I will never forget from my time at SRU is the impact I made in my learning support student teaching placement. I got to teach 4th-6th grade learning support in reading. It was amazing to teach those kids!

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

An SRU faculty member that had a positive influence on me was Dr. Mild. She was my student teaching advisor who always pushed me to do my best.

4. What initially peaked your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

The main thing that peaked my interest in becoming an educator was my high school’s preschool program. This was my first interaction with teaching children. Teaching the preschoolers helped open my eyes to where my heart truly belonged.

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

The most rewarding aspect of my job is building relationships with my students by letting them know I will always be there for them. I want all students to feel welcomed into our classroom.

6. What makes a great teacher?

The thing I think makes a great teacher is someone who wants their students to always try their hardest and support them in their education.

Sophia Joanow

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

I graduated from Slippery Rock in May 2020 with a dual degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I am currently a Learning Behavior Specialist for grades K&1 at Jonathan Burr Elementary School in Chicago, IL.

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

My student teaching experience (along with all other May 2020 student teachers) was one for the books! I spent 9 weeks teaching 1st grade at Mohawk Elementary School. I spent the next 9 weeks teaching 4th & 5th grade learning support at Mohawk- but online. Student teaching during the first school shutdown of the covid-19 pandemic was crazy because no one knew what would happen next. We just had to roll with the punches, which mirrors what teaching in itself is like. Education is not linear, there will always be twists and turns! (pandemic or not)

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

If I could name all of my SRU professors, I would! I truly believe that I would not be where I am today without the awesome professors at SRU. Dr. Kelly was especially a support system for me during my undergraduate experience. She gave me the opportunity to complete a research project, expanding my knowledge of education in ways I didn’t know existed. In addition to that, she was the professor I went to if I needed advice or just a place to hangout in Mckay. She is the best!

4. What initially peaked your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

I originally came to SRU as a public health major looking to join the PA program. The day before classes started freshman year, I didn’t feel like that was the path for me and switched my major. The first day of classes in education was like a breath of fresh air- I immediately knew that I was going to be a teacher!

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I really believe that the corny saying “do what you love and you will never work a day in your life” is absolutely true. The thing I love most about teaching is that school is such a fun and happy place to be. Just as we teachers try and make school a second home for the students, it is for us as well! Your class starts to feel like a family- and that is so heartwarming.

6. What makes a great teacher?

I believe that a great teacher is someone who always puts the needs of their students first, before all else. The whole district of Chicago Public Schools is virtual until the foreseeable future, and my administration has put an emphasis on meeting our students’ basic needs. If they need a break, they get a break. If they want to just hang out and chat for a little, we hang out and chat. Education is focused on caring for your students just as much as it is focused on learning!

Olivia Freed

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

I graduated from SRU in May 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I worked for the SRU/SGA Child Care Center and Preschool during my undergrad as an assistant teacher, and after graduating, as a head teacher of the summer preschool program. I worked as a paraprofessional in an autistic support classroom during the extended school year program. Now, I am working as a graduate assistant within the Early Childhood Department here at SRU, as well as working for an applied behavior analysis therapy clinic. I am a Registered Behavior Technician (awaiting confirmation to take the written exam due to covid-19), working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental delays. I am also enrolled at SRU in the Special Education Master’s program with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis.

 

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

I have truly appreciated all of my experiences at SRU for so many reasons. I feel that my time at SRU has helped shape me into the well-rounded professional and person that I am today. The College of Education, and specifically the Early Childhood and Special Ed. Departments, provided me with several opportunities to grow as an educator and professional, through field experiences, coursework, professors, travel opportunities, clubs and organizations, and more. SRU also gave me the opportunity to be involved outside of the College of Ed. Through clubs like the Musical Theatre Society, which allowed me to meet people from a variety of majors and backgrounds. These experiences have shaped me into the strong and successful person that I am today.

 

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

There are so many faculty that have positively impacted me at SRU. There are a couple that come to mind, like Dr. Bieniek and Dr. Kelley, who have, and continue to positively impact me. Dr. Beiniek has been someone that I go regularly to with questions and for advice. He is always willing to lend a hand when needed, and I am so thankful for his continued wisdom and support. Dr. Kelley is someone who I always looked up to as an undergrad, and now, I have the opportunity to work alongside her as a graduate assistant. She is passionate about positively impacting her students and the field of education, and I am thankful to be able to know her and learn from her.

 

4. What initially peaked your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

I always wanted to be a teacher. I grew up wanting to help people, and the world of education provided me with that ability. As I moved through the program at SRU, I fell more in love with working with individuals with disabilities, and I eventually learned about Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and the impactful work they do. Through the coursework and faculty at SRU, I have been able to pursue my dream career!

 

5. What do you love most about your work in the field of education?

My favorite part of working in the field of education is seeing my clients/students succeed, and it’s so amazing to see a child grasp a new concept or skill. It’s rewarding to see the pride they have and know that I played a role in helping them achieve that goal.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

I think what makes me a great teacher is my determination to think outside the box and my desire to see my students be successful. I want to do whatever I can to help them become kind, successful, and independent people.