Kelsey Marie-Musich Rieger

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 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education-English (7-12). Following my education at SRU, I attended Gannon University for my master's in Curriculum and Instruction through 2020. I am currently enrolled in SRU in hopes of receiving my Principal's Certificate in the near future. After graduating from SRU in May of 2018, I received a full-time position at the Fairview School District, specifically the middle school, as a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher. I have held this position for five years now. In addition to teaching, I coach middle school girls' volleyball, am an advisor for 7th & 8th grade student council, host after-school exploratories, am a member of the apple training team, and play a major role in event planning within my school. 

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

My greatest memory from the time I spent in the education program at SRU simply surrounds my student teaching placement as well as the positive relationships I was able to establish with my professors. A major reason I wanted to go into teaching was to build connections with students that would, in turn, encourage them to be the best versions of themselves. I was able to do this as I had an amazing experience throughout my placement at Laurel Jr./Sr. High School and with the help of the caring and supportive professors throughout my time there, which is a major reason I chose to re-enroll in SRU for my next certification. 

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

There are two faculty members at SRU who greatly impacted my time there. First, my advisor and professor, Dr. John Hicks, was very real with his stories and advice, kind, and believed in me throughout my entire time establishing myself as an up-and-coming teacher. Similarly, my professor and cooperating teacher, Dr. Junko Yamamoto, made me feel empowered and confident as I continued to grow and learn what teaching style worked best for myself. I appreciate the efforts and lengths both faculty members went to make me the teacher I am today.

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

In high school, I had an English teacher who completely changed my perspective on the classroom and the power in sharing my thoughts through writing. This teacher was interactive, engaging, and passionate. Most importantly, he cared about each and every one of his students beyond the content. For this reason, I knew I wanted to make students feel just as valued as he made the students that went through his classroom feel. Here I am today, many years later, trying to do the same thing in my ELA classroom.

5. What do you love most about teaching?

My favorite part about teaching is the students. At the beginning of each year, I feel a mix of sadness and nervousness, for I miss my previous year's students. Nonetheless, every year I realize I have so much more love and compassion to give to the next group of students who I enjoy equally as much as the year before. I love the connections I build by encouraging my students to share their thoughts and pumping them up to share, reflect, and grow with me throughout the school year.

6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is more than a great lesson planner. A great teacher, as I have shared in many of my answers above, is a teacher who can build connections with all of his or her students. Prioritizing connections alongside the curriculum is what sets apart a good teacher from a great one. In my opinion, everyone can learn to create technology-based and innovative lessons. However, it takes a special person to be able to relate and genuinely care about the students in front of him or her. 

 

Marie Ellis

 

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

I graduated from SRU in the fall of 2018 with a degree in Secondary Education English 7-12 and a minor in dance. After learning about the opportunity to become a graduate assistant in the Secondary Education Department, I decided to continue my education at the Rock and I graduated with a Master’s degree in Secondary Education English during the spring of 2020. Upon graduating with my M.Ed., I held a variety of long term substitute positions including Emotional and Autistic Support, 6th grade Social Studies, and 8th grade Reading within the Grove City Area School District. This school year, I have been hired right across the way as a 9th and 10th grade English teacher at Slippery Rock Area High School! 

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

My time at SRU was filled with so many wonderful memories and experiences; however, I will never forget the time I was invited by Dr. Hogue to speak with current Education majors about the journey to my own classroom. This moment came full circle for me because I remembered sitting in the McKay Auditorium seats as a freshman and feeling both excited and overwhelmed at the prospect of becoming a classroom teacher as the panelists spoke about their own journeys. For me, it was a privilege for me to come back to the place that helped shape me as a teacher and share my own pieces of knowledge that I have gained along the way. 

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

There were multiple professors that helped me grow as both a person and an educator throughout my time at SRU: Dr. Hicks was a wonderful advisor that always reminded me of the bigger picture. Dr. Christmann’s door was always open to share stories and more often than not, Dr. Hicks and Germaine (the SEFE secretary) would join in on the conversation. Dr. Oldakoswki kept learning fresh and inspired my love for making learning creative for my students. Dr. Permenter challenged me as an English student and a writer through her undeniable passion for literature. While I could go on and list many more influential professors, those listed above truly stand out to this day. 

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

Growing up, my dad taught high school chemistry and my mom owned a dance studio and taught dance classes. I loved helping my dad grade papers and I enjoyed teaching the little ones alongside my mom at the studio, so I knew from a young age that I loved teaching and being around people. As I went through high school and began to think about my career, I always knew that I wanted teaching to be a part of my life. My yearbook advisor in high school and several of my English teachers also inspired me to become a teacher. 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

There are moments during the school day when I realize just how lucky I am that I get to teach kids every day. I love making connections with students and there is truly nothing like the quirkiness that 9th graders bring to the table. They constantly humble me and remind me to find joy in the little things. Teaching can certainly be challenging, but I love creating and bringing joy into my classroom and sharing it with my students. 

6. What makes a great teacher?

In my opinion, a great teacher is someone who teaches with empathy, shows compassion, and leads by example. Students may not remember the themes in The Outsiders or why Macbeth is a Shakepsearean tragedy, but they will always remember how they felt in a classroom. I firmly believe that a great teacher is someone who the students respect and can rely on as a constant in their day. In my mind, being a great teacher is a privilege and with that comes a great responsibility.