Katie Windsheimer

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

I am an SRU Grad with a Bachelors in Elementary and Special Education. I taught in Dillingham, Alaska for 2 1/2 years. I was a Migrant Tutor the first 6 months for grades K-5, the next year I moved into a first-grade teacher spot, and, because it was a small town, my last year I was a Special Education teacher for grades 3-6. I am currently in Bixby, Oklahoma and this is my second year at Bixby Public Schools as a Special Education Teacher with grades 4-6. 

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

I can’t remember the class specifically, but it was a Special Education class with Dr. Beinick (I think?) and we did a lot of activities as if we had physical disabilities. I remember being sent out to see how accessible our campus was with wheelchairs, and I remember doing activities with blindfolds. This really stuck with me because it helps remind me every day what some students, and even adults, go through and the challenges they face everyday. 

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

 She wasn’t faculty when I was at SRU, but she was my Co-op for student teaching. Dr. Katie Leckenby was such an inspiration to me during my student teaching, and believe it or not, I still reach out to her today, 5 years later. She taught me a lot of tips and tricks with writing IEPs and paperwork, and showed me a bunch of different ways to help my students. She is also the one that encouraged me to take a chance and move to Alaska my first few years of teaching. I remember sitting in her classroom when I got the email about the job opportunity and she helped me apply and prep for my job interview. 

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

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I can remember bribing my little brother to play school with me when we were younger and I would make him be the student so I could pretend to be the teacher. I loved getting to teach children new things and building the connections with each student. 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

 I love the relationships that I have with my students. We all get along really well and I feel as I have built such strong connections with them that they truly trust me and will come to me, whether good or bad, if they ever need help. On top of that, because we have such great relationships, it allows us to joke and have fun when we are in the classroom learning.

6. What makes a great teacher?

 I am always open to wanting to learn new things, new strategies, new techniques, to better myself in the profession. I have only been teaching for 5 years, so I know I have a lot to learn onto of what I have already gained in those 5 years. I think my flexibility and eagerness makes me a great teacher. 

 

Jaisa Wolfe

 

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 with a bachelors in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Special Education. I am currently a 1st Grade Teacher at Bayshore Elementary in Manatee County, Florida.

 

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

I had the best student teaching experience from SRU. I learned so much from my cooperating teachers in my placement. I met friends who are now amazing teachers too.

 

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

My academic advisor/professor, Jeremy Lynch, was super helpful in my road to becoming an educator and always gave good advice when I needed it.

 

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

I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I loved working with children as a cheerleading coach and dance instructor in the past.

 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

The relationships I make with my students are irreplaceable. It’s so rewarding to see the impact I make on my students everyday. 

6. What makes a great teacher?

There is no cookie cutter to being a great teacher. For me, it’s whatever my students need from me that day. If it’s extra patience, a friend, an advocate, confidence, etc. It’s all about knowing your students! ☺️

Noah Lapikas

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

I attended Slippery Rock University in pursuit of a B.S.Ed. with a concentration in School Wellness. Upon graduation, I landed full-time employment with Lincoln Learning Solutions along with PACyber Charter School. I currently teach 6-12 physical education, 9-12 health, as well as develop H/PE curriculum for varying states in accordance with their individual standards. During this time, I developed a sincere gravitation towards online education, leading me into the pursuit and completion of the M.S.Ed. program Technology for Online Instruction through SRU. 

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

I’m fortunate to say I have a plethora of memories from SRU that will last a lifetime. I believe the experience that reigns supreme above all else would be the student teaching experience I was granted at Mohawk Elementary School. This opportunity allowed me to not only develop professionally, but create and establish relationships with colleagues I will cherish for the remainder of my career. 

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

While I can confidently state that each individual professor within the field of education at SRU has left a positive influence upon me in some capacity, I would nominate Dr. Randy Nichols as the most influential. Dr. Nichols consistently went above and beyond with his efforts while demonstrating a contagious passion for the success of his learners. 

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

Like many, I developed an interest in teaching through having influential teachers across middle and high school studies. Having always had a passion for health, I pursued the field of School Wellness to share this passion and equip the student population with knowledge designed to maximize their quality of life. 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I love many things about teaching! I love teaching a subject in which the information can directly improve an individual’s quality of life. I love partaking in a transformative era of education, pioneering pedagogy and implementing strategies for increasing student autonomy. Most importantly, I love the opportunity to inspire and transform the life of a student on a daily basis. 

6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher would be an individual who demonstrates a passion for their subject, exemplifies a growth mindset, and provides compassion, flexibility, and patience. Most importantly, I believe a great teacher is someone who can connect with, spark curiosity, and inspire each learner during their time in the classroom.

 

Taylor Bowman

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

I graduated with a dual bachelor's degree in Early Childhood (PK-4) and Special Education (PK-8) from Slippery Rock University in the Spring of 2021. I added a Special Education 7-12 certification in my junior year of college. I am also a proud Slippery Rock Honors College graduate. Since graduating, I have held several teaching positions. Currently, I am a K-1 and 4th grade Learning Support Teacher at Claysville Elementary School in McGuffey School District. This is my first year in the district. Last school year, I was a long-term substitute teacher at West Mifflin Area Middle School in Fourth-Grade ELA Learning Support in the spring and a Fourth-Grade ELA teacher at Propel Braddock Hills Elementary School in the fall and winter. I also taught as an Extended School Year teacher at the Pine Richland Youth Center in the Summer of 2021. Last summer, I was also a summer camp counselor for Extended Day Services in Keystone Oaks School District.

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

One SRU experience that helped me grow was working at the SGA Preschool in the summer/fall during the pandemic. I learned how to handle difficult situations effectively, gained strong classroom management skills that helped me excel in student teaching, and learned to teach basic number sense and letters (which has helped me in my position teaching the younger grades this school year).

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

I had taken a few special education classes with Dr. Jessica Hall-Wirth. My sophomore year of college, we had to complete a community service requirement involving working with individuals with disabilities. This is when she provided me the opportunity to become involved with the Pine Richland Youth Center’s Students with Exceptional Abilities Parent Night Out program. I remained active with this program throughout college. Eventually, she offered me the opportunity to teach the program’s Extended School Year program the summer after I graduated. This position allowed me to dive deeper into working with IEP goals and adapting instruction to fit the needs of my students. The position also helped me gain more experience in helping students through behavioral challenges. Not only has she provided me with many opportunities to grow, but her continued passion in the field of special education is something that I look up to and admire greatly.

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

I grew up with my mom working as a keyboarding teacher at the middle school level. Throughout my childhood, I spent time during the afternoons helping her with her classroom needs (erasing whiteboards, restocking printer paper, pushing in chairs). I also would come in during the summers to help stock her school store and pick out summer reading books at the school’s library. Being in the school environment was exciting, and I loved feeling like I was making a difference (even though I was completing small tasks to help my mom and her students).

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I love to watch my students reach their greatest potential. What is especially exciting to watch during my math and reading intervention groups is watching my students develop basic math and reading skills that we work on each day. When a student exits my intervention group after showing continuous proficiency, it makes me proud because the student has proved that he or she can be more independent in the general education classroom. That feeling of pride is truly the best feeling!

6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is a teacher who advocates for his or her students. This means that the teacher works to ensure that every student is receiving instruction and practice that fits his or her academic needs. This statement also implies that the teacher communicates with the student and other faculty members to uncover what each student needs to succeed behaviorally. It is essential for a great teacher to push students to reach their greatest potential.  A great teacher is also able to create an environment with consistency, structure, acceptance, and love.

I have a teaching Instagram: @123andmissb if other SRU students/alumni would like to follow and pick up some new tips and tricks to add to their instruction/teaching lifestyles. I also have a Teachers Pay Teachers store: @123 and Miss B if any SRU students/alumni would like to check out and download some resources that I have made for and used with my students!

Megan Wild

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

I have attended Slippery Rock University for Early Childhood and Special Education in 2016-2020. Since I have graduated, I have held three LTS positions. The first district I worked for was Chartiers Valley at their Primary School as a long term sub in first grade from October through the end of the school year. My second year of teaching, I moved over to their Intermediate school where I was an added on fourth grade teacher for the year due to enrollment rates being high in the district. This school year, I moved to another district for a new opportunity. I am working for Avonworth Primary Center and Elementary School as a GATE/ Gifted K-3 teacher as a long term substitute. 

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

An important SRU experience I will never forget would be becoming a member of Kappa Delta Pi! This gave me numerous opportunities to get into school districts for their Read Across America outreach that we participated in as an educational sorority. It was a great experience getting into the schools to work with young age students. 

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

Dr. Toni Mild had a positive impact on my educational journey! She was my professor and advisor throughout college. If you ever needed anything, she was always there to help you in any way she could. 

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

During high school, I decided that I wanted to become an elementary teacher. My high school had a program where preschoolers came in three days a week. I participated in this my Junior and Senior year. This really helped me to find my passion in teaching kids and helping grow their brains! 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

When it comes to teaching, the thing I have loved the most is making an impact on my students and building a great relationship with them. I constantly think back to the students I have taught over the past two years and miss the times we got to spend together. Teaching is more than the materials you teach; it is building those relationships so your students know they are loved when they enter your classroom. 

6. What makes a great teacher?

In my opinion, the thing that makes a great teacher is always putting your students FIRST. As long as you put the kiddos first, everything else will follow.