Amber Winchester Wilson

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

I am certified N-12th in Special Education (thank you Dr. Bicehouse and Dr. Lynch) and Primary Education Pk-4 (thank you Dr. Alexander and Dr. Walsh).

 

I am currently teaching at Pressley Ridge Pittsburgh Day School. I teach 7th- 12th graders in a partial hospital setting. I have been able to work with my team to ensure the successful progress of each of my students.

 

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

I will never forget being invited to speak at the Global Community Engagement forum. It stood out to me because not only was I thought of by my professors, but they made sure to give me a platform in which my voice was heard and respected.

 

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

The four professors named above for sure, Dr. Bicehouse, Dr. Lynch, Dr. Alexander and Dr. Walsh. Each of them have made my education journey one of thoughtfulness and rigor. I have been able to challenge myself to continuously be a work in progress in order to better my students' education and support system.

 

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

I have always loved helping students reach their goals and have the support system to be confident in taking risks.

 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I love being able to have a true connection and lasting impact on my students. I love the moments when my students reach out to me about a happy moment from their weekend, or a parent reaches out to me about success they've had using skills we've worked on.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

I work with all parts of the team to make sure that I can understand the whole picture. We bundle our students in family, community, and educational resources. I believe that students have to have all of these parts of their lives connected and supported in order to best help them achieve their goals.

Norah Doyle

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

Graduated from Slippery Rock in May of 2020, I have a dual degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. Right now, I am getting my Masters Degree as a reading specialist from Slippery Rock. I am also a Special Education teacher at Pressley Ridge Day School in Pittsburgh (behavior school). I teach students in grades 5-8.

 

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

I completed a field experience at The Watson Institute in Sewickley, PA and that made me see a different side of schools. I like how it is only for some students, and not everyone mixed together. It allows students to grow in a different type of school community. That helped me make the decision to teach in a school like Pressley Ridge.

 

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

There were a few professors that really helped me grow and know where I want to be as a teacher. One was Dr. Monique Alexander because she showed me how important it is to build trusting relationships with students. Because of the relationships I built with my students, they have been able to tell me personal things they may be struggling with.

 

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

I have always felt that I was meant to be a teacher. Being able to start field work right away at Slippery Rock helped me be confident that I made the right decision.

 

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

I think the most rewarding part of my job is seeing students succeed. The students I work with don’t have a ton of confidence in themselves, so seeing them feel proud when they complete that math problem or read that story in front of the class makes all the hard days worth it.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

I think patience makes a great teacher. Today in schools, teachers are asked to do 10 different things and still be able to be patient with that student who won’t stop talking or just needs more support. By being able to keep ourselves calm in stressful situations is one aspect of a great teacher.

Jensen Wehrli

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

I graduated from SRU in 2020 with my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. I currently work at Center Avenue Community School within the Butler Area School District as an Emotional Support Teacher. Center Avenue Community School is a program that supports students who demonstrate difficult behaviors. Through our School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), we are able to encourage and reinforce positive behaviors by creating school-wide expectations.

 

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

Throughout my time at Slippery Rock I was provided many opportunities to grow in my professional career, but there is one experience that comes to mind when I think of what has made me the educator I am today. During Pro-Sem, my field experience took place at St. Stephen's. This field experience is what made me realize this is truly the career for me. It helped me discover my passion for working with students who display difficult behaviors and guided me to the job I have now. It reassured me that working in an Emotional Support setting is where my heart is!

 

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

Dr. Monique Alexander was my supervisor throughout my student teaching experience at SRU. As we all know, 2020 was a year full of unknowns. I was student teaching in March 2020 when the world shut down; we all began to panic. Dr. Alexander was my support system during a time where no one knew what the next steps were going to be in order for us to succeed. Dr. Alexander modeled what it's like to be flexible, adaptable, and understanding throughout this process. She inspired me to be flexible and challenge myself - because things can change in an instant.

 

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

My mother was a paraprofessional for 10 years in an Autistic Support classroom. In 8th grade, I thought it would be fun to go to Bring Your Child to Work Day with her (mainly to get out of school for a day), but I never expected that day to change the course of my life. I left school with her that day and said, "that was the best day ever!", and she looked at me like I was a little bit crazy. Ever since that day, I knew my passion was teaching Special Education and I was going to do everything in my power to be the best educator I could be.

 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

What I love most about teaching is building meaningful relationships with my students. Too often we find ourselves going with the motions and not taking time out of our day to just chat with our kids. Just as us adults want to be treated with kindness and respect, our students want that too. When we take a step back, and take the time to invest in our students, their performance in academics will naturally increase. We often forget that these kids are humans, and they need to feel loved, safe, and cared for in order to be successful.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

Empathy - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another - that is what makes a great teacher. If we as teachers cannot empathize with our students, we will never have the tools we need to help them reach their fullest potential. When a student comes to school visibly upset, we need to know that it's okay to put academics aside to focus on their emotional well being. We need to understand that their behaviors have meaning. Put yourself in their shoes - ask yourself - are they hungry? are they tired? do they feel safe and loved? We can't expect our students to succeed when we haven't met their basic needs. Let our students know they are seen, they are heard, they are supported, and they are loved for who they are.

Samantha Barnhart

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

BA, MPhil, MEd: 

 I went to Butler High School and then dual-tracked in English Writing and Film Studies with a minor in Spanish at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I was in IUP's Cook Honors College (2013-2017) and also participated in a summer faculty-led study abroad program at the University of Oxford in 2014 and studied a semester abroad at the University of Essex in 2016. I was valedictorian of the English BA program and Editor in Chief of IUP's newspaper, The Penn. After my undergrad, I did my Master of Philosophy degree in Film and Screen Studies at the University of Cambridge in 2017 and my Master of Education degree in Secondary Education: English at Slippery Rock from 2018-2020. 

 

I did my student teaching at Armstrong Junior-Senior High School, and last year I had two long-term substitute positions: first at Mars Area High School teaching 10th grade English and Communications, then at Butler High School first the English Cyber Support teacher and then a LT-sub teaching 9th grade English. 

 

I am currently teaching at Ballycastle High School in Northern Ireland. I teach English Years 8-11 (grade 6-9) and Years 8-9 Drama.

 

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

My teaching practicum at New Castle Junior/Senior High School through SRU was an amazing experience and really prepared me for student teaching. The MEd cohort was full of like-minded individuals who were passionate and knowledgeable about their subject areas and truly wanted to become excellent teachers. It was a pleasure to go through the process with a supportive network of professionals who were all keen to learn and practice pedagogy. The practicum was a great stepping stone between the theoretical ideas of teaching, learned in the university classroom, and the realities of the work, learned while student teaching. I'm very grateful for that experience. 

 

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

Dr. John Hicks was incredibly supportive and helpful. I learned a lot from him in class, as well as during my advising sessions.

 

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

Originally, I had wanted to be a university professor. I had even been accepted into an English PhD program at the University of Syracuse but ultimately turned it down for Slippery Rock's MEd program instead. During my master's degree at Cambridge, I became a bit disillusioned with the business of research universities/institutions. I felt that I was a cog in the machine and that the university cared more about my labor and the work I produced (to make the university look good) and less about actually teaching its students. I realized how grateful I was to have gone to a PASSHE school like IUP, because at a state school, it did feel like the professors wanted to help me learn and weren't simply in it for the PR. I also realized that I wanted the opportunity to teach and enhance the lives of all students, from all backgrounds, abilities and means -- not just pupils fortunate enough to get a university degree. I knew that in order to do this, I should change my focus to secondary education rather than collegiate. So, I looked up MEd programs within the Pennsylvania state system and knew Slippery Rock's program would allow me to do what I truly wanted to do: teach.

 

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

It's incredibly difficult to choose just one rewarding aspect of teaching, but if I had to pick one, I think it would be creating a positive relationship for learning with pupils. I remember reading in Sir Ken Robinson's book Creative Schools that the best way to get students to pay attention in class is to show them that you care about them. If you show an interest in their lives, their hobbies, their identities, 9 out of 10 times, pupils will give that back to you and try to care about what you care about: the lesson. It's about creating that respect and rapport. I always remember that, at the end of the day, students just want to be cared for, and unfortunately, not all of them get to feel cared for at home. For some, school is the only place students can get the positive attention they need. Helping a student feel safe, supported, and noticed is the most rewarding aspect of teaching to me; the actual subject matter comes second, but that foundation of trust needs to be there first. Developing that positive ethos and rapport, and seeing students develop a passion for learning takes the cake. Watching students get more and more knowledgeable through your lessons is just the icing on top.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

To be a good teacher, you need to be able to balance and be flexible. There are myriad roles a teacher has to constantly fill: instructor, learner, record keeper, entertainer, role model, presenter, facilitator, behavior manager, teammate, negotiator, cheerleader,  etc. You have to be thinking of everything at once and be flexible enough to change your plans at a moment's notice. You need to know your subject, be passionate about your subject, and know how to convey the subject to students while managing classroom behavior.

 

I've found work-life balance a bit difficult as well, but I've learned to use my planning periods and after school hours effectively so that I take as little work home as possible. It's important to have those boundaries and make sure you aren't always working.