1. What sparked your interest in joining SRU’s College of Education as a faculty member?
- Slippery Rock University has a good reputation for teacher preparation institution.
2. How long have you been a faculty member? In what department?
- This is my 15th year at the Secondary Education / Foundations of Education Department
3. Did you attend SRU for your undergraduate career? If not, where did you go?
- I studied business administration at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan
4. What jobs did you have prior to being a professor at SRU?
- I was teaching Japanese at Mt. Lebanon High School. That is located south of Pittsburgh.
5. What is one positive experience that you have had with a student?
- I enjoy seeing student teachers use what we have taught, make connections with their learners, and take feedback to improve. For anyone, there is a good teaching day and bad teaching day. I love it when I see student teachers reflect and learn from 'bad days,' and come out stronger. Of course I love seeing great teaching too. I also enjoy catching up with successful SRU alumni when I visit public schools. There are truly wonderful alumni out in the field.
6. What do you love most about teaching?
- Sometimes present or former students ask me to write a letter of recommendation. The letter writing gives me the opportunity to tell stories about what they have accomplished in class, in honor society, or during student teaching. As I think of anecdotes to tell, I feel blessed to be a part of their personal and professional growth. I have been privileged to advise Kappa Delta Pi at SRU. We have done service to schools, fund raising, coat drive, etc. Witnessing future teachers demonstrate leadership through these activity gives me joy.
