Dr. Hannah Brewer

 

1. What is your educational background and where have you worked previously?

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education from Lock Haven University, and began my teaching career as an elementary health and physical education teacher in the Lewisburg Area School District.  I since completed my master’s degree in Health and Physical Education, and in 2012, earned my Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As a doctoral student, I taught Wellness and Health Science courses at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, which was my first experience teaching adult learners. Based on my interest in physical activity and public health, I also served as a Physical Activity Specialist for Highmark’s KidShape program. Before starting at Slippery Rock University in 2012, I taught in the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for one year.  

2. What attracted you to Slippery Rock University, and in particular, the education department?

I was attracted to Slippery Rock University because of the positive reputation the Department of Physical and Health Education faculty had within the profession. Specifically, I was serving as the Vice-President of Health Education for PSAHPERD, our professional state organization for health, wellness, and physical education teachers, and I was impressed with how many students from Slippery Rock University (SRU) attended the state convention. The moment I realized I wanted to teach in the College of Education at SRU was when I attended a session at the state convention led by Dr. Marybeth Miller, an SRU faculty member, and two undergraduate students spoke about their experience teaching nutrition, healthy living, and physical activity to preschool students through a program Dr. Miller led on campus. Seeing the SRU students engaged in meaningful field work and presenting at professional conferences at the undergraduate level made me think “wow, I want to work there!” Put simply, I wanted to work at a university that was committed to high-impact practices, and I saw from the experiential perspective that the College of Education encouraged faculty to engage undergraduate students in scholarly activities.

 3. What has been your most rewarding experience as a teacher/professor? If you cannot narrow it to one, describe one rewarding experience.
The most rewarding teaching experience for me was watching three undergraduate students that I had taught in a Secondary School Wellness class lead Fitness Drumming for a large group of public school teachers at the Slippery Rock University Mini Convention. In class, I taught these students the basics of Fitness Drumming, but they decided on their own that they wanted to share the activity with health and physical education professionals. The student leaders were confident, energetic, used cues to teach each fitness skill, and expanded on what I had taught them in class (creating some original movements).  This was the most rewarding experience for me because I watched these students transform into confident professionals. In this moment, I knew that these students would graduate from SRU, go out into the world, and help build a healthier society through schools. This was my “the future is in GREAT hands” moment. Today, all three of these SRU graduates have full-time teaching jobs in Pennsylvania, ranging from Doylestown to Karns City to Pittsburgh.

4. What advice would you give to students who are entering or are currently in the teacher preparation program, and to SRU students in general?

Find a few things you are passionate about, get involved with them, and do them well. We have so many opportunities on campus and in the community for students to begin leadership roles while they are at SRU, so take advantage of that. From the Professor Protégé program to student clubs and councils, to opportunities to engage in research with faculty, there are always things you can do now for the profession you are passionate about. You also do not have to be a club officer to take on leadership roles within the department or at the university. We are all leaders within the profession, whether we have the title of being a leader or the title of being a teacher or faculty member.

My second piece of advice is to collaborate with your peers. Become professional friends with the other students in your major, and make a point to start your professional network TODAY. Some of my best resources are peers that I met as a student. Keep in touch with these peers, as you can help each other with jobs, lesson ideas, and staying current with what is happening in the field.  Your peers today may be your co-workers’ tomorrow, and you can learn a lot from them just as you learn a lot from faculty and your public school mentor teachers.

5. What were you like as a college student?

I was a good student, but I probably did not stand out that much until I got into some of the upper level teacher education courses. Getting into the public schools for field hours inspired me to take an even deeper interest in my coursework because I realized how much of an impact I could make on students’ lives. Seeing teachers who connected with their students, had creative and meaningful lessons, and inspired students to live healthy and active lives inspired me to be the best student and best teacher that I could be. I excelled in graduate school because I was interested in research and writing, and was able to serve as a Graduate Assistant, conducting research in public schools on tobacco use among teens. I am an experiential and kinesthetic learner, so being involved in research really helped me advance professionally. As faculty today, reflecting on what motivated me as a learner helps me use a variety of instructional strategies to engage all students in learning.

Dr. Mark Hogue

1. What is your educational background and where have you worked previously?

I am humbled to join the College of Education at SRU.  SRU is my home!  I earned my undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in math and science education from the Rock. 

The first-class faculty at SRU set me on a path for success in both my professional pursuits and preparation for competitive graduate studies.  After my education at SRU, I earned a second master’s degree in educational administration from California University of Pennsylvania; doctor of philosophy in curriculum and instruction, focusing in mathematics education from Kent State University; and superintendent’s letter of eligibility from Westminster College. 

I worked as a high school mathematics teacher in two local school districts – Grove City & West Middlesex - for a period of 10 years.  I was fortunate to teach a host of mathematics courses including Algebra II, Statistics, and Calculus.  I also enjoyed working as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Pittsburgh’s College in High School program.

Following a decade of experience in the classroom, I served as a high school principal in the Greenville Area School District for five years.  Most notably, Greenville High School was named as only one (1) of 50 high schools in the United States as a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School.  This achievement is a testimony that public schools can function at very high levels with the collective buy-in of students, teachers, and school leadership.

2. What attracted you to Slippery Rock University, and in particular, the education department?
I sincerely enjoyed working in public schools, and one of the hardest decisions that I have had to make was leaving the last school where I worked as a high school principal. 

At some point in my career, I always hoped to return home to SRU.  Working in higher education has always been an interest of mine and was a big factor behind making the commitment to take on a Ph.D.  Perhaps the most humbling aspect about working at SRU in Secondary Education Foundations of Education Department is being aware of the legacy of the faculty who have come before me, as well as the faculty who I now call my peers.  I have very big shoes to fill!

Also, it was important to me to not only accomplish the professional expectations associated with a faculty position, but also to achieve the experiences that would prepare me to be impactful in educator preparation programs.  I hope that my graduate education coupled with my experience as a high school mathematics teacher and high school principal will ultimately position my undergraduate and graduate students to be extremely successful and empowered teachers. 

3. What has been your most rewarding experience as a teacher/professor? If you cannot narrow it to one, describe one rewarding experience.
As it relates to teacher preparation, my most rewarding experience is having the privilege to hire one of my former algebra II and calculus students as a mathematics teacher.  I am proud that after a change in career trajectory, he selected SRU’s math and science master’s program to complete his teacher training.  It was a powerful experience to witness my former student perform so strongly from “the other side of the desk.”  In keeping with my own experience, it was clear to me that SRU provided a very strong teacher preparation experience that equipped him to perform favorably even amidst a slate of other math teachers who had previous teaching experience.


4. What advice would you give to students who are entering or are currently in the teacher preparation program, and to SRU students in general?
Working in the field of education is a tremendous privilege.  No one is going to put a teaching position on a platter for you, but there is arguably no better time to enter the teaching profession.  Projections are clear –there are many, many full-time teaching positions in PA that will be open in the very near future.   
While degree audits can minimize the successful traversal of undergraduate programs to a plethora of “checked boxes” …coursework, clearances, and certification tests, truly successful candidates in the College of Education (or from any major for that matter) need to set themselves apart.  These separating factors will look different from student to student –adding an additional certification, working with students beyond the school day (performing arts, sports, extracurricular activities, tutoring), continuing graduate studies, etc.

Teaching careers demand an investment beyond the dismissal bell.  Administrators are not looking to hire an eight-hour employee who walks in and out with the students.  Schools are the hub of the community and it is common, between the school day and events, for high schools in particular to be open daily from 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM and schools need teachers who are willing to step up and get involved.  Teacher candidates who embrace this notion through their investment of time, talents, and abilities will most certainly set themselves apart. 

To this point, one very simple life lesson that sticks with me was shared by the principal who hired me for my permanent math teaching position years ago.  He said that the interview process revealed several highly qualified candidates.  The principal communicated to me that one of his personal friends from the district where I previously worked as a full-time temp shared with him that he had never seen anyone spend as much time before or after school working with students as I did, not to mention the fact that I was just a temporary employee.  This was a commitment of my time that never landed a spot on my resume or came up during my job interview, but this seemingly “below the radar” investment positioned me to enjoy a tremendous teaching position that might have otherwise gone to someone else. 

5. What were you like as a college student?
First of all, I enjoyed the rich tradition of awesome professors at SRU.  As an undergraduate, I was fortunate to have Dr. Judy Werner take me under her wing.  With her encouragement, I was fortunate to receive a considerable academic scholarship through the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Looking back on it, while particularly stressful at the time, the challenging GPA requirements for the NSF scholarship renewal kept me on the straight and narrow. 

More generally, my high school focus of sports, socializing, and jobs with a secondary focus of keeping decent grades really needed to be reenvisioned to maintain a level of achievement that would galvanize my success into the future.  I quickly realized that if I wanted to teach in PA, I needed to buckle down and work hard.  In the end, the fruits of hard work never disappoint.  My studies at SRU were challenging and made me grow up pretty fast, but I always felt supported and encouraged – both from professors and my family.