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Moving to the Head of the Class by Jillian S. Ambroz
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For instance, many Nazareth n integral part of students have local connecbecoming a teacher tions and plan to stay in the is the experience area upon graduation, says gained as a student Joan Arthur ’79, ’84G, asteacher, like the practical sistant principal of John James knowledge of working in a Audubon School No. 33 in the classroom, presenting a lesson Rochester City School District plan, and working with stu(RCSD). They also stand out dents, as well as the valuable with English as a Second Lanopportunity to learn from a guage (ESOL) and English Lanseasoned teacher. guage Learners (ELL). “Several Nazareth College places some Nazareth students have been 2,100 School of Education (SOE) placed as ESOL student teachstudents in more than 200 ers where they bring a strong schools each year through field sensitivity to the needs of ELL and student-teacher placestudents, as well as enthusiasm ments. In many cases, Nazareth for working within our school alumni, now in administrative environment,” Arthur says. positions at local schools, work Meanwhile, Deborah Lazio directly with the SOE to place ’77G, principal at Nathaniel Nazareth students in their classDeborah Lazio ’77G, principal at Nathaniel Hawthorne School No. 25 Hawthorne School No. 25 in the rooms. The relationship strengthin the Rochester City School District, assists Nazareth in placing student RCSD, sees between 12 to 18 ens the ties between the alumni teachers. field placements each semester and the College, while giving stuat her school, including Nazadents the opportunity to get into reth students, then up to six student-teacher placements, though that a school where they are valued for their education and background. number can vary. Lazio says she and her staff are quite fond of NazaIt’s a win-win situation for everyone involved, says Donna Orioli reth students and the SOE’s program. “They know what a good lesson ’76G, director of field placement services for the School of Educais and know if kids have learned, and how to know if the students tion. “The alumni get a chance to interact with upcoming teacher have learned what they taught,” she says. “A lot of that might be in candidates and can make a request for a student,” she says. Nazareth the person, but Nazareth has a way of bringing that out.” students get first-hand knowledge of the climate of the school, its Some of the attributes schools look for in student teachers are teachers, and students. Finding the right match of teacher and student competence, commitment to students and families, and resilience. teacher in a classroom is critical. “It’s much more beneficial to the “Nazareth seems to graduate a good caliber of teacher, who wants school to have our students develop a long-term relationship with to teach and takes initiative to be a good teacher. Most teachers out them as the students will be better equipped to make a faster, more of Nazareth want to be that lifelong learner—they have a passion for lasting contribution since they are familiar with the school.” teaching,” Lazio says. “If there’s an opening, Nazareth students are the Nazareth must place students in the classrooms of tenured teachers, first ones I go to hire.” preferably ones who hold master’s degrees, and with teachers who are willing to spend time working with their student teachers. While Read more about the School of Education at www.naz.edu/educaNazareth sees some heavy competition for placements in the greater tion. Rochester area, where teacher education institutions are looking for some 12,000 placements, in many areas Nazareth students have Jillian S. Ambroz is a freelance writer in Rochester, New York. an advantage.
12 CONNECTIONS | Spring 2012
www.naz.edu