Topic of the Week: Dean Willis' Birthday Celebration

Charisse Willis is an extraordinary person, and a number of us have decided to show our appreciation by holding a special birthday celebration for her as part of this year’s

Alumni Great Lawn Party. 

Help make her special day one that she will always remember.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

2-7 P.M.

Great Lawn on the Queens Campus

$25 per adult (complimentary for children 17 and under)

Buy a $10 candle for Celebrating Charisse Willis’ Birthday Cake at www.stjohns.edu/give. For designation, please select ‘Candles for Charisse.’ All donations will go towards scholarships in the School of Education. We look forward to seeing you there!

As seen on the STJ Website: 

"Grab a blanket and some lawn chairs and bring your family to the St. John’s University Alumni Great Lawn Party! Last year's event drew a record crowd of over 1,500 alumni and friends, and this year's will be just as much fun. Featuring a barbecue, carnival rides, games, music, a "Kiddie Zone" for children and more, this annual party is fun for the whole family.

What better way to reconnect with old friends and meet other St. John’s alumni? And, of course, you’ll be able to enjoy our beautiful and spacious Great Lawn, the centerpiece of the Queens campus. With a great low price for hours of fun, this is one party you don’t want to miss!"

Topic of the Week: Diversity in the Classroom

One of the biggest challenges that both novice and experienced educators face each day is teaching diverse classrooms. The term "diversity" does not just mean racial differences; in fact, it includes students with disabilities or giftedness, varying religious beliefs, different cultural backgrounds, unique personalities and interests, and individual learning styles, to name a few. It is the teacher's role to ensure that all of these students, regardless of background, is given a quality education. In whatever means necessary, the teacher must make sure that the entire class reaches the same lesson objective. How will you perform such a task while valuing and promoting diversity in your classroom? 

The following are examples of strategies to encourage diversity in the classroom: 

• Take the time to learn about your students' background, interests, and learning style
• Allow time for the students to learn about each other and gain an appreciation for the diversity they bring to the classroom.
• Bring in different people to the class as resources that students might be able to connect with.
• Never tolerate bullying, teasing, and other put-down behavior at any time in the classroom.

(source)

What will you do to address and promote diversity in your classroom? 

How will you instruct learners with a variety of needs and abilities? 

Topic of the Week: Education Courses at STJ

The School of Education offers a variety of courses that prepare students to become successful educators after graduation. Starting with Foundations of Education and ending with Student Teaching, the pathway to earning a degree in education contains unique and exciting courses all related to the field of teaching. Although Adolescent and Childhood Education are two different majors, they are required to take overlapping courses such as Human Relations, Special Education Foundations, and Technology and Society. For this week's discussion, we invite you to share your favorite Education course thus far at St. John's. 

For more information about the School of Education's program requirements, click here.

What EDU class did you learn the most from? 

How will you apply what you learned to your future teaching career?

I Scream, You Scream, 
STAR Screams for Ice Cream!

We cordially invite you to The STAR Ice Cream Social!

Please join us for our last event of the semester to celebrate the wonderful year we’ve spent together. We'll be making our own ice cream sundaes, complete with toppings and sweet treats!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

5pm-7pm

Sullivan Hall Cafe

Click here to RSVP

Student Teaching

As all students in the School of Education are aware, the final, culminating undergraduate experience is student teaching. For many, the idea of student teaching can be a source of both anxiety and excitement, especially as senior year draws closer. This week's discussion is geared toward our past and current student teachers, who we ask to give an overview of what it is like to be in the classroom full time.

For student teachers:

What is it like to run your own classroom?

Does your past or current student teaching experience match your initial expectations?

How has your student teaching experience benefited (or not benefited!) you as a future educator?

For SOE students who anticipate student teaching:

What do you hope to gain from your student teaching experience?
 Where do you want to student teach? 
What are you most excited about? 
Do you have any concerns about student teaching?