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Lycoming College’s Fall 2020 student teachers recently completed required field experiences as they head toward graduation and the job market. During an unprecedented semester that saw teacher candidates grapple with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, they successfully navigated traditional student teaching with in-person classroom instruction, as well as teaching through virtual platforms.
Under the direction of Lycoming supervisors Jennifer Kuzio and Nadine Sapiente, the student teachers studied a variety of topics, including “Mindfulness in the Classroom” by Robyn Hannan, WASD ELA teacher; “Writing a Resume, Cover Letter, and The Interview” by Anne Landon, associate director for career advising at Lycoming College; “Technology in the Classroom” by Becky Gibboney, curriculum and online learning specialist, BlaST IU17; “Data and Data Analysis at the Classroom Level” by Mechelle Abney-Koehler, curriculum specialist for Alvin Independent School District in Alvin, Texas; “College and Career Readiness/PA Future Ready Index” by Brandon Pardoe and Roger Freed, principals at WASD; and “The Professional Teacher Evaluation Process” by Charles Greevy, secondary curriculum supervisor for WASD.
Additionally, students heard from Jason Bolt, Williamsport Police, who did ALICE training with the group; Michelle Williamson, director of special education for Montoursville Area School District, who presented information on adaptations and accommodations in the classroom; Jason Hurwitz, Kades-Margolis, who presented on PSERS and planning for retirement; and Judy Nordstrom, a local children’s author and retired teacher who spoke on teaching the process of writing a children’s book.
Jim Scott, Lycoming College trustee, founder and principal of CareerChoiceFirst, spoke to teacher candidates this semester about signing teacher contracts. His talk covered topics such as how to time an offer, and how area prevailing salaries and cost-of-living can impact the decision-making process, as well as and understanding the reasons to be released from a contract, and more.
“Lycoming College provides resources to all of its students to meet the challenges of launching careers, and for teachers especially, signing contracts is an important part of the process,” said Scott. “It was great meeting a strong group of future teachers, and I was pleased to offer useful information to help get their careers off to a solid start.”
The Fall 2020 Lycoming College student teachers collectively said, “There were many challenges, but with the assistance of our fieldwork supervisors, education professors, and cooperating teachers, we were resilient and completed our student teaching with many good experiences. We all grew as teachers and learned how to be flexible, patient, and show-up of our students.”
The semester was capped off with an online Portfolio Showcase and virtual Mock Interviews in preparation for job searches. Student teachers included:
- Youssef Bayomi, pursuing Biology 7-12 certification student taught at Jersey Shore High School.
- Kaitlin Clark, pursuing Grades PreK-4 and SPLED PreK-8 certification, student taught at at Lyter Elementary and McCall Middle School.
- Grace Filohoski, pursuing Grades PreK-4 certification, student taught at Central Elementary.
- Sarah Keiser, pursuing Grades PreK-4 and SPLED PreK-8 certification, student taught at Schick Elementary and Loyalsock Township Middle School.
- Alexander Rowley, pursuing Music K-12 and SPLED 7-12 certification, student taught at Montgomery High School.
For more information on this semester’s teacher candidates, please visit https://bit.ly/LycColEDF20StudentTeachers.