The School of Education recently held its Fall Student Teacher Professional Development Day which introduced education majors to professional teachers for a day of conversation and learning.
“I am so excited to see so many dedicated and passionate individuals committed to shaping the minds of future generations,” said Diana Jones-Sukhram, dean of the School of Education, as she welcomed the students. "Our professional development day is designed to equip you with the tools, knowledge and inspiration to enhance students learning. Your dedication and hard work will make a lasting impact on your students’ lives.”
The goal of the day as designed was to provide teacher education candidates and the presenters with a transformative experience by uniting their passion for teaching with innovative strategies and collaborative discussions.
The keynote speaker for the day was dual-graduate Kacey Maher, who graduated from SUNY Old Westbury in 2019 with a B.S. in Childhood Education and in 2021 with an M.S. in Literacy Education. She now serves as manager of education and youth programs at North Shore Animal League America. In her remarks, she described the Mutt-i-Grees Curriculum, an innovative Pre-K-Grade 12 social emotional learning program designed to develop empathy, resiliency, and an awareness of oneself and others.
“There is a natural affinity between children and animals, and that is what our program is about,” said Maher. “It takes that desire for kids to interact with animals to help them develop their social and emotional skills. These lessons are easy to implement as we want to make it easier for you to use your talents to help the students with their social, emotional and learning needs.”
The Professional Development Day also included workshops on cover letters and resumes; classroom management; technology across grades; multiple-reality simulations with associated classroom scenario activities; and mock interviews.
“Together, our students and the presenters explored new ways to enrich student learning, advance equity, and embrace continuous growth as educators,” said Dean Jones-Sukhram.