Center for Teacher Education

It's Spring Time

2009-04-02T12:57:00.000-04:00

Hello Students,

It has been awhile since I last blogged and I apologize. I have been extremely busy trying to get acclimated into my new position. I hope everyone is doing well and are getting ready for the Summer. I also hope classes are going well. For those who are graduating in the Spring, it is right around the corner so, GOOD LUCK!

Placements have been hard this semester. I had over 180 students to place and I am happy to report that I am down to less than 10 students. YEAH!!!!1

In the next couple of weeks, I am planning a meeting for all those interested in joining SVEA (Student Virginia Education Association). I would like to try and get members as well as officers, so it will be in place by the fall and we can start having regular meetings and getting out and doing things in the community and school. I will be putting up flyers around school, so look out for them in the next couple of weeks. For those of you who want more information on what SVEA is about, please visit their website at: www.studentvea.org.

Well, that is all I have for now! Have a great week and I will chat with you all soon!

2009-01-08T22:10:00.003-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR STUDENTS AND WELCOME BACK!

We are gearing up for a great year and I have been busy in the office working to get things done. I had a wonderful Christmas vacation and spent my holidays in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was wonderful. I returned on January 6, 2009 to the cold, but that is OK, I don't mind the cold too much.

I want to welcome the Career Switchers and remember that Orientation is on January 19th from 9-1. Please remember to bring in all the required forms.

I will be starting placements soon and I wanted to remind everyone to check your emails regularly. I got a lot of students emailing or calling me last semester to say that they were still waiting to be placed, and when I checked the Roster they had already been placed. Also, please make sure to give correct email addresses. Remember this is the only way you will be contacted, so please, please check your email.

I will be keeping you posted on up coming business so, keep checking the blog spot for CTE News!

~Sophia Robinson~

WELCOME!

2008-12-03T00:31:00.005-05:00

Hello Students,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

My name is Sophia Robinson, I am the new specialist and assistant to Dr. Morrison.
I am happy to be a part of the Center for Teacher Education department, here at JSRCC. I have been very busy transitioning into the center, and it has been a great experience. I am currently learning about placements, and I wanted to thank all of you for being so patient, while I try to place everyone. I know that you are frustrated, and I apologize for the wait but I am working hard trying to accommodate everyone. I have been able to place some students and I am currently working trying to get the others placed. I wanted to get out emails to all the students that have not been placed just to let them know of my progress but I have been so bogged down, I have not had a chance.

We are also gearing up for our Education Conference, and it has consumed most of my time. As soon as we are done, I can get back to devoting my time in the office.

I look forward to working with all of you and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call. I am still learning but I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I will try to keep this blog updated at least 2 to 3 times a week. I want to be able to keep you posted about upcoming events and happenings in the center.

Until next time. Have a wonderful week!

~Sophia Robinson

Good-bye Mrs. Cronin, Hello Mrs. Robinson

2008-10-31T09:39:00.002-04:00

CTE supporters and students,
I want to thank you very much for all you have meant to me over the past 5 years. I have enjoyed getting to know and support all of your efforts as well as watch (and help!) the Center for Teacher Education grow from a dream to a reality.
It is with great sadness that I leave in what I feel to be a prime time for the CTE, but I also leave very excited to begin my new job as a stay-at-home mom. With the baby due in two weeks and the doctor feeling that she may come any day, I am turning my desk over to a wonderful replacement!

Please welcome Mrs. Sophia Robinson as the new Specialist in the Center for Teacher Education. She has been working with me for the last two weeks to get a feel for the job and I am excited to see her take over in working for Dr. Morrison. Beginning Monday November 3, Mrs. Robinson will be fielding your calls and emails. Give her some time to learn all the ins and outs of the Center and I know that she will be a great asset to the CTE. You can reach Mrs. Robinson at 523-5543 or srobinson@reynolds.edu.

Again, thank you for all your support and help over the last five years that I have been working with the Center for Teacher Education. I will not be going far. I live very close to the Parham Road Campus and I will be swinging by to help Mrs. Robinson out as she conquers some of the bigger tasks in the Center (like placements!).

Speaking of placements - they are almost 100% DONE! While it was my goal to be at 100% today, we are very close and Dr. Morrison will be following up on anyone not yet placed.

Have a safe weekend & feel free to drop by the Center (DTC, 358) to meet Mrs. Robinson in person!

Thank you, Evelyn Cronin
Specialist, Center for Teacher Education
2003 - 2008

Placements are Moving Along

2008-09-16T15:51:00.002-04:00

Hello CTE Students!
Practicum placements are being worked on as I type. You should all start hearing from Mrs. Cronin very soon to let you know where you have been placed and who to contact to schedule your hours.
Please remember that you are not only representing yourself in your practicum, but you are also representing J. Sargeant Reynolds.

Be sure to visit the SVEA website to sign up and join the SVEA! We are planning some exciting things and want you to be involved! Once you have joined - and if you are interested in being the President, Vice President, or Secretary - send Mrs. Cronin and email (ecronin@reynolds.edu) to let her know.

Call us if you have any questions!

A New Semester Begins!

2008-08-25T15:29:00.003-04:00

Well hello! Welcome back to the JSRCC-CTE Blog! We are excited that you are joining us.

Big things are happening this semester:

SVEA will be up and going and ACTIVE! Join now at www.studentVEA.org!
We (as SVEA) will be sponsoring a MOVIE NIGHT showing Freedom Writers!
Student placements for SDV 107 and EDU 200 will be in full swing soon!
The CTE Specialist, Evelyn Cronin, will be leaving us in November (if not sooner) to have a baby!

Please be sure to check the Teacher Ed. website and this blog on a regular basis for fun & informative updates!

Great Article in the Washington Post

2008-03-19T10:15:00.003-04:00

Dr. Morrison stumbled upon an article in the Washington Post this weekend that we have shared with her EDU 200 students. I'd like to share it here, also. I'm including the link to the post as well as the text of the article for your benefit (and in case the link expires). We'd love to hear your comments on the topic of alternate routes to teacher licensure.

Did you know that JSRCC participates in a Career Switcher Program? Check it out HERE!

Teacher Has to Learn by Listening
By Mary Ellen Slayter
Sunday, March 16, 2008; Page K01

Q: I have not taken the traditional route to teaching -- I started after a few unsatisfying years in another career. Because I am teaching in a high-needs area, I was hired "conditionally" and have not finished my master's in education or my teaching certification. I recently had an observation meeting with my principal. She unfairly dumped on me, calling my teaching unmotivating, not fun, and saying it was obvious the student I was working with didn't like me. While I agree the lesson she observed had some flaws, I believe that a lot of these criticisms (and other things she has said) come from her belief that, as someone who does not have an undergraduate degree in education and has never done any student teaching, I am unfit to teach, period.
In my former job in the business world, I would have addressed this with the superior giving the evaluation. Here, I feel like that would be fruitless and would further alienate me, as everyone else in the school thinks this principal is great.

A: You're not the first new teacher to experience this problem -- except the problem isn't what you think it is.
"When you enter a school, you have to be humble," said Tara Williams, site manager for D.C. Teaching Fellows, an alternative teacher certification program geared toward career-changers. It takes time and a lot of work to become an effective teacher, she said, something that high-achievers coming from other fields often have a particularly hard time accepting.
And you do want to be good at this, right?
If so, you need to schedule a follow-up meeting with your principal (a.k.a. your boss), and this time really listen to her thoughts about what you are doing wrong. As you acknowledge, most of the people who work for her think she is great. That probably means she knows a thing or two about teaching.
"Your principal is your employer," Williams said. "Instead of saying 'I don't agree,' ask what you need to do to improve."
Perhaps your principal can pair you up with a mentor, or you can find one on your own. You want an experienced teacher you trust, and who will share honest feedback with you. Oh, and you have to actually listen to that person, too.
Williams said your assumption that your credentials (or lack thereof) are the problem might have been true five to 10 years ago, but it's an attitude that's rapidly disappearing. Principals care less about the route that people take to enter the profession, she said. "They just want people that make effective teachers."

We're Not Closed During Spring Break!

2008-03-11T12:58:00.003-04:00

Good day, JSRCC Students and Friends!

While the CTE Students are away, the office staff has no time to play!

Well - there was a little time to play yesterday. Yesterday was a Professional Development Day for the Classified Staff here at JSRCC. That meant that Dr. Morrison had the day off while I spent the day attending professional development classes. Don't get me wrong, I took three wonderful classes!
My first of the day was "Hip Hop in Education". It talked about the influence of the Hip Hop Culture at JSRCC. It was really informative and I loved learning some of the history that I did not know. I also felt rather cool because I knew a lot of the songs, raps, videos, and artists that we talked about.
My second class of the day was "Unlocking the Body's Innate Intelligence". This was an incredible class taught by a local chiropractor. He wasn't pushing his business (though he did give out cards at the end), but instead spoke to us about the body's ability to heal. He talked about America being over-medicated (I can't agree more) and how some of those medications are more detrimental than we think they are. It was a very informative talk and he may just have talked me into needing an adjustment. I have experienced migraine headaches and lower back pain since I was in high school (quite a while ago). He also had migraines until he began to have his spine adjusted. After that, he hasn't had a single one. Of course, he also gets regular adjustments. It was really interesting and I really enjoyed learning from him.
Lunch came next - Homemade's By Suzanne! After a little coercing of the tables around me, I was able to play musical desserts to get everyone what they wanted (including getting myself some chocolate pie instead of bread pudding). The speaker was great and encouraged us to use "Dibs & Fives", something he's learned from his teenage sons and their friends. We were encouraged to take "Dibs" on our students, claiming for them a great college experience that we help shape, and "Five" minutes of our time to help shape that experience. It was very encouraging!
My final class of the day was following lunch - "Introduction to Pilates". This was taught by the owner of a gym located just a couple minutes from JSRCC's Parham Road Campus, New Fitness for Ladies. Well, we did get quite an introduction! I was so sore following that class! We also got invited to come experience the gym for free and to have a membership for only $20 a month! I may have gotten roped into that one, too. I need to join a new gym and having one that is convenient is key. Yes, I work at the Downtown Campus, but I go up 95 to Parham Road to go home. I can hit the gym right after getting off the interstate.

My other goal this week- to get my final 12 placements confirmed and completed. Yes! You read that correctly! I only have 12 placements to go! Two of those are already tentatively placed, Nine of them are still waiting for an answer, and for one placement I have had to go to the student to ask for more options. This is incredible. I made much better progress this semester than in any other semester!

Well, that is all for now. We are in this week, though our schedule may be a little off from normal. For example, we will be spending some time in the morning at Thomas Jefferson High School talking with a group of students who will be in our pilot pre-college Urban Teachers Academy this summer.

I hope you are all having a WONDERFUL Spring Break! Do not party too hard & keep lathering on that sun screen. (Yeah, right! Like you are checking this from the beach!)

We'll see you back here on Monday, March 17!
~Evelyn Cronin

Placements are ALMOST done!

2008-02-27T13:13:00.003-05:00

Hey! This is Evelyn Cronin. I am still working hard on placements. I started with over 200 people to find a place for and I am down to 49, and 7 of those have tentative placements where I am just waiting on final information from the school!
I can't tell you how exciting that is for me! Placement time is quite stressful in the Center. For a couple of school systems I have a Central Office contact that I send all my placement requests for that system to and that person takes care of the rest...
While I was typing that, I got an email confirming four more! I'm down to 45!
That still seems like a lot, but it sure is better than 200+.

Back to what I was saying...
For the other school systems I have to go school by school, principal by principal...it takes quite a long time! This semester has taken longer than usual and I have gotten so many "no" answers from schools. This is a good and a bad thing. Part of the problem is that our students do not fill out practicum/observation requests until they meet with their class for the first time. The Universities in the state have their student teachers placed prior to the semester beginning. Apparently, there has been a huge influx of student teachers this semester, leaving very little room for my practicum and observation students. Good: teaching is on the rise! Bad: my students get the short end of the stick.

My next goal will be to find a way to make PeopleSoft send students their request form when they register for the course. This will get those forms into me so much earlier! In a perfect world this is going to happen by fall, but we are not living in a perfect world are we? Oh well, we'll see.

I hope everyone is getting geared up and excited for Spring Break! It is just around the corner. I will be in the office most of that week, but may take a day off to go play some Disc Golf.
Students - have a great end of the week & a beautiful weekend! See you next week.

~Evelyn Cronin
Center for Teacher Education Specialist

What this will be for...

2008-02-13T13:09:00.003-05:00

We here at the Center for Teacher Education want to be able to get information out to you, our visitors, our students, the JSRCC faculty & staff as quickly as possible. We want you to know what is going on with us and what is going on in the Center.
Feel free to email us anytime at teachered@reynolds.edu.

Thanks for checking us out and as I get the blog rolling, I'm hoping to post a couple times a week so that information is always up to date!

A more detailed post about what is going on will be posted tomorrow! Check back then!

Something New

2008-02-12T17:20:00.000-05:00

Hello to anyone out there looking into becoming a teacher!
We've just created this blog, so give me a couple of days to get it going.

You can find us at www.reynolds.edu/teachered.

~Evelyn Cronin
Center for Teacher Education Specialist
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Richmond, Virginia