Selina Jones

 

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I received my undergraduate degree from SRU in Elementary K-6 and Special Education K-12 in 2012 and my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership (K-12) from Stetson University in Deland, Florida in 2017. I have held teaching positions in 2^nd, 3^rd, and 5^th grade classes, served as an Administrative Teacher on Assignment, Digital Learning Teacher Leader, and Assistant Principal. I am currently a Professional Learning Specialist with Volusia County School District in Deland, Florida where I create and facilitate training and professional development for teachers, clerical staff, administrators, academic coaches, and district staff.

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

Two SRU experiences that I will never forget were the Special Education Department trips to Costa Rica and Greece. Dr. Jodi Katsafanas took us to visit schools, and universities in those countries to study inclusion practices for students with disabilities. The students that we met, the cultures that we were able to experience, and the knowledge that we gained from those first-hand experiences shaped me to become the educator that I am today.

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

Dr. Michelle McCollin was the type of professor that you don’t forget. She was a fierce advocate for students with disabilities and had a contagious passion for teaching. She made us think, changed our perspectives, and made every minute of her classes impactful to all.

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

I wanted to become a teacher the same way many others choose our profession, by experiencing several incredible teachers who made me want to inspire others the way they did. My 5^th grade teacher, 10^th grade U.S. History teacher, my 1^st grade teacher, and my 7^th grade Math teacher, to name a few inspirational teachers. My 4^th grade teacher, was one of the most impactful teachers that sparked my interest in becoming a teacher. She made learning fun, relatable, and exciting, while also holding us all to high expectations. One of the most memorable moments from her class was at the conclusion of reading Charlotte’s Web, she brought in a live piglet from a local farm and we spent the day applying what we’d learned from the lessons of the book across all subjects.

5. What do you love most about teaching?

What I love most about teaching is seeing the excitement in my students’ eyes when they finally have that “aha moment”. I enjoy building lasting relationships with students and seeing the tremendous growth that occurs from the first day of school to the last. Teaching is hard work but worth every minute to see my students grow. Now, as a professional learning specialist, I am fortunate to support teachers and coaches on best practices in order for them to ignite the spark of learning in their students at their school sites which increases my impact as a teacher leader.

6. What makes a great teacher?

Personally, I believe that the most important aspect of being a teacher is ensuring that my students know that I care about them and that they can do anything they set their mind to. Some of the greatest teachers that I have experienced set high expectations, teach students where they are, and instill confidence in their students all while instilling a love of learning in their students. Great teachers are not afraid to try new things, make mistakes, be flexible, and helps students to be independent thinkers.

Kayla Moio

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I earned my bachelor’s degree from SRU in 2021 in Early Childhood/Elementary Education and Special Education. I am currently completing a graduate assistantship that allows me to be an assistant teacher in a preschool classroom at the SRU/SGA Preschool and Child Care Center. While teaching preschool, I am finishing the Reading Specialist Master’s program and am due to graduate this December! 

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

I will never forget my undergrad and current years working at the Child Care Center on campus. I have grown as a student and educator by having the opportunity for practical application of the skills I was learning in my classes. Working in both roles as a student worker, and now as a mentor to the student workers has positively shaped my appreciation for the leadership, teamwork, and passion it takes to be a teacher. It has been such a rewarding experience that I will forever be grateful for. 

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

Dr. Walsh has been my professor for quite a few classes in my undergraduate and graduate programs. With each class, I gained more and more knowledge and found a love for teaching literacy to young students. She is knowledgeable in her field and always kind, encouraging, and supportive, which always made for enriching learning experiences in her classes. 


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

Growing up in a family of teachers, education was highly valued in our household. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher and make a positive impact on the lives of young learners. 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

There’s a lot to love about teaching, but what I love most is knowing I am playing a part in building a strong foundation for my preschoolers as they prepare for elementary school and their life ahead. The lessons in preschool go beyond reading, writing, and counting, and it is so rewarding to watch my students grow into their roles as kind, caring members of our classroom community along with all of the academic progress they will make throughout the year. 

6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is a role model, a mentor, dedicated, persistent, flexible, reflective, and passionate about what they do. It is more than a job, it is a pursuit to create a better world around us by educating and empowering our students to be well-rounded and conscientious individuals, and a great teacher recognizes and pours into that.

 

Rachael Hughes

 

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I graduated from Slippery Rock University in 2021 earning my bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education. Currently, I teach first grade at Center Grange Primary School in the Central Valley School District.  I am teaching in my home district that helped shape who I am today!  Prior to teaching first grade, I taught K-2 Learning and Emotional Support in the Ambridge Area School District.

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

I’ll never forget the dedicated professors I’ve had during my undergrad and the hands-on experience I gained during my time at SRU!

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

Dr. Jessica Hall-Wirth helped make my transition from community college to Slippery Rock as seamless as possible. She was a patient and supportive advisor who truly helped guide me in the perfect direction of my educator journey. I will never forget how dedicated she was, and still is, to her students!

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

I have always had such a strong desire to give back and help others, especially young children.  I truly felt the positive impact that teachers had on my own life, and I knew that I wanted to be part of that same impact.

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I love the joy and fulfillment that teaching brings me.  I love the excitement and energy that my first graders have about school. Watching my students learn and grow has been so wonderful for me, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the school year brings to every one of my kiddos!

6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher understands that building a strong classroom foundation begins with creating relationships and valuing the uniqueness of each child.  Curriculum and learning are incredibly important for each child but connecting with their teacher and having a safe learning environment is most important!

Catherine Eakin

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I went to SRU for all four years of undergrad. After graduation, I worked at a preschool for a little over a year as an assistant teacher. I am currently a long-term substitute in a second-grade classroom! It’s so much fun and I love being able to do what I’m passionate about. My next step is my own classroom!

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

I will also never forget my student teaching experience; it truly confirmed that teaching is my passion. That group of kiddos will always stay dear to my heart.

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

Dr. Sara Tours, my advisor. She really helped me navigate through my classes at SRU!

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

I originally started at SRU as a hospitality management major; but after the first semester of freshman year I realized it wasn’t what I was meant to do. I was having a hard time figuring it out so I looked through the list of majors and the only one that stood out was Early Childhood Education. I still wasn’t sure so I slept on it. I had a dream that night that I had my own classroom and my passion

for teaching has only grown since.

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I love making a difference in these children’s lives. Seeing their face light up when they realize we are learning about something they like or they see they did better on a test or their grade go up reminds me of why I want to teach. Getting to know the kiddos and have fun while teaching them is my favorite part.

6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is one that is passionate about what they do, makes learning fun, and makes an impact on every child that walks into their classroom.

 

Jordan Hare

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, Social Studies with a minor in European History and a certification in Applied History. Upon graduation from Slippery Rock in Spring of 2021 I spent some time as a substitute teacher at Bethel Park High School filling in day to day as needed. Within a month of graduating I accepted a full time teaching position at Boonsboro High School in Boonsboro, Maryland for the 2021-2022 school year and I have just begun my second year there. During my first year I taught 9th grade US Studies II and 11th and 12th grade World History and this year I have continued with US Studies II and also teach 10th grade Government.

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

I will definitely never forget getting to teach my first lesson in front of a classroom of high school students. I was fortunate enough to get to work with Dr. Bill Bergmann as a part of the Humanities Ladder Spring of my Sophomore year. He very kindly gave me the opportunity to teach one of our lessons completely on my own. It was terrifying, especially because I was still a long way off from student teaching and felt like I didn’t know what I was doing yet. However, it was also the moment that solidified for me that I definitely wanted to be a teacher and that this career truly was and is my passion. I still consider those students to be my “first class” and I’m forever thankful to Dr. Bergmann for taking a chance and giving me that opportunity. 

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

Picking just one is too difficult, honestly there were so many that had a positive influence. So I’m going to bend the rules just a bit and mention a few. First, Dr. Aaron Cowan who was the first professor to introduce me to Reacting to the Past and got me hooked on it. I’m even working on getting a grant to bring it to my school! He also helped me to be able to complete my Applied History Certification and has even helped me a few times post graduation when I reached out about using some resources in my own classroom. He’s motivated me to really strive to be a great teacher and there’s a lot of my teaching style today that I have him to thank for. I also have to mention Dr. Paula Rieder who I got to spend time with both as a student and as a student mentor. Her classes were an absolute blast as she’s an amazing teacher who really knows her stuff and gets you invested in it. I was fortunate enough to get to work in a few classes with her as a student mentor and it was one of my favorite experiences to have. She was wonderful to work with and really helped me to develop a deeper passion for history. Finally, Dr. Becky Thomas cannot go without a mention. She was the professor who traveled with us during a service learning trip in 2019 to Puerto Rico. During our time there, she opened my eyes to the world of interpretation and how what I was already doing could be applied in national parks and in museums. She inspired me to get my certification as a National Interpretive Guide - and now I volunteer at a local museum putting that certification to use. Dr. Thomas opened up a whole new field of history for me and I’m so grateful for that. 

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

For me, it was my dad. He’s also a history teacher and so I grew up with an appreciation for history and for education. Plus, when the time came I even got to have him as a teacher for AP US History when I reached high school which was definitely a cool experience. I’m very lucky that I got to grow up surrounded by educators and that I got to see a lot of sides to education that I think a lot of people don’t always get to look at until they’re in the classroom. He was such an inspiration for me growing up, and still is. I’m honestly not sure that I would have gone down this path if it wasn’t for the example that he set for me. It’s great that now we get to talk about our classroom experiences with each other, it feels like things have really come full circle.

5. What do you love most about teaching?

My students! I absolutely love the students that I get to teach for a few different reasons. Since I mostly work with freshmen and sophomores, there’s a lot of growth that happens over the course of those years. I love getting to be a part of watching those students grow and improve over the course of a year and love getting to be a part of their success. Plus, they crack me up. There’s not a single day that goes by where my students don’t make me laugh at least once. They definitely make teaching awesome!

6. What makes a great teacher?

I think a great teacher is someone who really takes the time to get to know their students and to build a community in their classroom. Those relationships are so important and can really set the course for the year. It’s important to know your content, to be prepared, to be able to be flexible, and all of those things also contribute to being a great teacher. But if you don’t have a relationship with your students where they feel they can take risks, aren't afraid to be wrong, and they know they’re in a welcoming environment then it can be difficult to really have an impact.

Jada Jacobs

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

My educational background began at Butler County Community College for my first two years of college. I then finished off at SRU for my last two years in Early Childhood and Special Education. Currently, I am obtaining my masters degree through SRU as a Reading Intervention Specialist. Last school year, I landed my first job as a 6-12th grade special education teacher at Sharpsville School District. Now, I am employed at Shenango School District as a K-6th grade Autistic Support teacher. 

 

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

SRU will always be memorable to me because of the support given by the professors in the education department. I have met so many professors that I look up to and truly considered friends by the time I left. They were always willing to go the extra mile and were some of the first people I called when I landed my first job. They have always wanted the best for all of us.

 

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

Diane Papa is hands down one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. From field experience to student teaching, whether I needed advice or just needed to talk, she was there. I am eternally grateful for the type of person, mentor and teacher she was to me for many years and still to this day.

 

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

I think having a position where you have the ability to truly help people is really something special. To have a chance to impact and support even one child is a gift. Helping children and young adults become who they are meant to be and supporting them in becoming their best selves is the only thing I could ever imagine myself doing.

 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

Being a special education teacher has given me an amazing lens to look through. I have had the opportunity to work with students in grades K-12 in just a little over a year. I love the chance to get to know each student as a person, as a learner, as someone’s family and as a member of society. The joy I get in being able to celebrate my students is what it’s all about. Being a constant in their lives is the best part about my job.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

“And if those children are unresponsive, maybe you can’t teach them yet, but you can love them. And if you love them today, maybe you can teach them tomorrow.” - Jeffrey R. Holland 

Emily Hoffman

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I graduated from Slippery Rock University in the spring of 2021. I have a bachelor's degree in early childhood education (Pre-k-4th) and a minor in special education. I was grateful to have landed a full-time 3rd-grade teaching position at Cabarrus county public schools in North Carolina right out of college. I am still currently at the same school/district, and I still teach 3rd grade and I absolutely LOVE it! 

 

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

My favorite SRU experience was definitely my student-teaching experience! My first placement was in a 4th-grade classroom. I was super nervous at first because I didn’t think that I would like 4th grade, and I had always pictured myself in kindergarten or first grade. However, I had an amazing cooperating teacher who used whole-brain teaching and taught me everything I know today! I took in all that she had taught me and I use almost all of the same things she used in her classroom in my current classroom. Because of her, I was able to introduce whole-brain teaching to my school and teach other teachers (even veterans) how to implement it in their classrooms! I also realized that I loved 4th grade, and I love teaching 3rd grade even more!! Upper elementary is more of my jam now, so shoutout to all the kindergarten/first-grade teachers! I don’t think I could turn back now! 

 

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

Dr. Tours was my field supervisor and she was incredibly helpful and supportive throughout my student-teaching experience! She was very understanding and calm when halfway through student teaching we had to go completely virtual, and she reassured us that everything was going to be okay! She also made sure that we were doing some form of self-care while student teaching because it can get stressful at times, and she always wanted to put ourselves first so we could be the best version of ourselves for our students. I loved her classes and I really learned a lot from her! 

 

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

I originally was a dance major at SRU at first, but I knew that if I wasn’t going to continue to dance that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. So many of my teachers (specifically from my elementary school years) have inspired me and made such an impact on my life, and I knew that that’s what I wanted to do for my future students. I’ve always loved working with kids when I would volunteer for Vacation Bible School, and you can make learning so much fun for them!

 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

What I love most about teaching is seeing how engaged my students are when using whole-brain teaching! They love repeating things back to me and doing gestures that go with what they’re saying and it makes me so happy! I also love seeing them grow from the beginning of the year to the end of the year and knowing how far they came. Most importantly, I love the kids! I love building relationships with my students and really getting to know them and seeing all of their little personalities come out throughout the year! 

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

Being able to take time to care for yourself is what makes a great teacher. You need that work-life balance! If you are not feeling 100% you can’t give 100% to your students. Self-care is everything! If you want students to succeed and are determined to patiently help/teach them while also showing kindness and never giving up on them, then that’s a great teacher!  

 

I also have a teacher Instagram @missemilyelementary if other SRU students/Alumni would like to follow/learn more about whole-brain teaching! 

 

Kevin Linza

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I recently took a position teaching Heath and Physical Education at Seneca High School in Erie County. Prior to this, I taught in Virginia for 11 years.  I am dual certified and taught Social Studies for 7 years and have been teaching PE for the last 5 years. I also coached basketball, football and tennis during my teaching career. 

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

I would have to say the overall SRU experience is what makes this university so special. The professors, my peers who I took classes with, extracurriculars, and things like the “happy bus” are all things that I will never forget.

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

There were two professors that I feel really helped me along the way and formed a relationship with. Dr. David Dixon, who passed in 2008, was an amazing history professor. We would always have a morning chat before heading into class. Also, Dr. John Hicks was always there to help when it came to the College of Education. 

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

The teachers and coaches that had a positive impact on my life during high school made me want to do the same thing for others. I started as a Sport Management major and made the switch to education after the first semester because I knew I wanted to have an impact on others. 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I love building relationships with my students and serving as a positive role model. 

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

Someone who cares about the success of the students, knows how to motivate others, and is a positive member of the school community.