SRU College of Education

What makes a great teacher is Empathy, Kindness, and Flexibility. You need to be able to put yourself in your student's shoes to find out what makes them tick and what makes them want to learn. Our Alumni Spotlight this week is Jake, a 6th grade Social Studies teacher at North Star Middle School in Somerset County, PA! Read more at https://coealumnispotlight.blogspot.com//jake-klukaszewski

Melago receives OLC’s Effective Practice Award Kathleen Melago, a Slippery Rock University associate professor of music, was honored by the Online Learning Consortium with a 2020 award for outstanding work in online and blended education. Melago was one of two recipients of OLC’s Effective Practice Award for effective techniques, strategies and practices to advance quality and access to online programs. Melago has enhanced SRU music education students’ distance-learning skil...ls for future teaching positions through a virtual partnership with local schools by pairing SRU students with 7th-12th grade music students who benefit from one-on-one instruction. The awardees were selected by OLC’s board of directors and awards selection committee for their exemplary contributions to the field. Recipients will be recognized at a virtual ceremony, Nov. 9, as part of the OLC Accelerate 2020 conference. The OLC is a collaborative community of education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences.

Tours elected to Butler County Children’s Center board Sara Tours, a Slippery Rock University assistant professor of elementary education and early childhood, was elected to the board of directors of the Butler County Children’s Center. The BCCC is a nonprofit corporation that provides a variety of services designed to meet the comprehensive needs of families. BCCC is the grantee agency for the Butler County Head Start Program and the Child Care Information Services Agency ...of Butler County. In her role on the board, Tours will advise the organization on all aspects including finances, programs and administration.

Get to know Dr. Amanda Young in our Physical and Health Education department a little bit better with our Faculty Spotlight! When asked about her favorite aspect of working in PHE, she says "my colleagues are some of the best people I know. As a new faculty, I am still learning the ropes, but everyone has been so supportive. Also, the students are wonderful and will have a great impact on children and youth in their futures." Read more at https://facultyspotlight.blogspot.com//dr-amanda-young.html

This week’s Alumni Spotlight is Justine, a Long Term Mathematics Substitute at Fort Cherry Jr./Sr. High School. A great teacher is eager, not only to teach but to give their students room to learn. They are passionate, about both their subject and their students. To read more about Justine, visit https://coealumnispotlight.blogspot.com//justine-yanosik.h

Helsel receives AFSCME scholarship for essay Stone Helsel, a Slippery Rock University sophomore secondary education major from Mercer, wrote an essay that helped earn him a $1,500 scholarship from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 13. AFSCME Council 13 is a public sector labor union that represents more than 67,000 Pennsylvania employees. The $1,500 scholarship is eligible for AFSCME Council 13 members, their children and grandchildre...n who are enrolled full-time in college. Helsel’s father, Shelly, is an equipment operator for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Forty-eight college students were awarded $500 scholarships, but Helsel was selected in the top four, receiving an additional $1,000 for his essay addressing the benefits of union membership beyond contractually negotiated provisions and how organized labor can expand its benefits.

We are SO happy for our Special Education and Transition Programming student Hannah Runas! Congratulations!

Our Alumni Spotlight this week is Aubrey, a long-term sub teaching high school Spanish and Honors at Penn Trafford High School. I really feel that traveling with the programs at SRU really helped me learn more about teaching in other countries and helped me gain cultural experiences I would have never had without SRU. I would definitely recommend traveling and experiencing as much as you can during your time at SRU because it truly is worth it! To read more about Aubrey, visit https://coealumnispotlight.blogspot.com///aubrey-frye.html

Redbank Valley School District is looking to hire a full time speech and language pathologist!

Here is an article about two of our graduates teaching in Colorado https://www.greeleytribune.com//separate-together-distric/

COE freshman, be sure to join the RockTEACH Peer Mentors and the COE Student Advisory Board on October 22!

Kerr receives Pitt’s Distinguished Educator Award Bill Kerr, a 1973 Slippery Rock University graduate with a degree in elementary education, received the Distinguished PreK-12 Educator Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. Kerr, who earned a doctoral degree from Pitt, was recognized for his outstanding accomplishments in the classroom, administration, support services, and/or extracurricular activities of programs. The Pitt School of Education annua...lly presents the award to one alumnus who has more than 10 years of professional experience within the PreK-12 education setting. Kerr retired in June 2019 after more than four decades as a teacher, principal and district administrator in the Kiski Area, Leechburg Area, Apollo-Ridge, Armstrong and Norwin school districts.

This week’s Alumni Spotlight is Sammie, a Career Coach at the University of Florida Career Connections Center in Gainesville, FL. I try to share more about my identity and my career journey so that if something resonates with another, they can feel confident reaching out to me and knowing I have shared experience. You have to be you to teach. To read more about Sammie, visit https://coealumnispotlight.blogspot.com//sammie-walker-her

Slippery Rock was just named 1 of 36 schools on ESPN’s 2020 Honor Roll! You can see more here: https://www.espn.com//espn-recognizes-special-olympics-uni