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.