Giving Day 2024: CMNS Terrapin Teachers Support Fund
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$2,500 will be unlocked with 10 donations to the Terrapin Teachers Fund, in honor of Terrapin Teachers’ 10-year anniversary, thanks to a generous, anonymous donor couple.
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Terrapin Teachers Student Ambassadors
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Photo credit: Jahaira Dixon
(left to right: Lauren Shephard, Lekha Tantry, Jonathan Mevs, and Jemies Saratis)
The Terrapin Teachers Student Ambassador Program is a yearlong internship, which offers students the opportunity to become more involved in the recruiting efforts of the program. Ambassadors are expected to represent Terrapin Teachers at outreach events (First Look Fair, Maryland Day, orientations, etc.), assist with the logistical details for recruitment events, provide support for social media sites, distribute flyers and other promotional materials, and serve as a confident leader and role model for new Terrapin Teachers students.
For students to qualify for the Student Ambassador Program, they must first complete TLPL 101. They must also: maintain a 2.75 GPA; have knowledge of the Terrapin Teachers initiative; and demonstrate excellent communication skills, dependability, tolerance, maturity, and professionalism.
The student ambassador program is co-led by Dr. Anisha Campbell, Associate Director of Terrapin Teachers and Jahaira Dixon, Program Management Specialist. Listed below are the names, majors, and classifications for the students who served as the Terrapin Teachers Student Ambassadors during the spring 2018 semester.
(left to right: Lauren Shephard, Lekha Tantry, Jonathan Mevs, and Jemies Saratis)
Lauren Shepard- sophomore, geology
Lekha Tantry - junior, mathematics and secondary math education
Jonathan Mevs - senior, computer science
Jemies Saratis- freshman, secondary math Education
2018 UTeach Conference
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photo credit: Danielle Davis
(left to right: front row; Anita Sanyal, second row; Julie Brenner, Kayla White, Precious Azike, Jahaira Dixon, third row; Steve Karig, Joshua Pooranmal, back row; Anisha Campbell, Sarah Henson-Darko, Tara Tanasavich, Vanessa Wagener)
A large contingent from Terrapin Teachers attended the 2018 UTeach Conference that was held in Austin, Texas from May 22 to 24. Representatives from 46 UTeach programs around the country met and shared ideas and lessons learned from implementing the UTeach model.
Our Terrapin Teachers staff and Master Teachers were invited to lead several sessions at the conference:
- “Shared Master Teacher Model”, Dr. Anisha Campbell and Julie Brenner
- “Integrating Computer Science in The UTeach Curriculum”, Justin Cannady (UTeach Institute), Lee Meadows (UAB Teach), and Julie Brenner (Terrapin Teachers)
- “Continuing Courageous Conversations: A Model For Social Justice in Early Fieldwork Courses”, Dr. Anita Sanyal, Sarah Henson-Darko, Steven Karig, and Kayla White
Terrapin Teachers undergraduates participated in the conference by presenting in the student poster session. Listed below are the students and the titles of their presentations:
- “Developing Critical Perspectives in Step 2: Maintaining an Open Disposition While Shifting from Student to Teacher”, Precious Azike and Joshua Pooranmal
- “Creating A Learning Community in An Undergraduate Math Class”, Tara Tanasovich and Vanessa Wagener
(photo credit: Jahaira Dixon)
(left to right: Tara Tanasavich, Precious Azike, Joshua Pooranmal, Vanessa Wagener)
Overall, the University of Maryland, College Park was well represented as each student did an outstanding job during their presentations. Precious Azike and Joshua Pooranmal walked away as the winners of the 2018 UTeach Conference Poster Session in Course Exposition.
(photo credit: Jahaira Dixon)
(left to right:Precious Azike, Joshua Pooranmal)
Maryland Day 2018
/Photo Credit: Jahaira Dixon
(left to right: Harrison Schatz, Young Chang, Jemies Saratis, Andrea Dai, and Victoria Cockcroft)
Terrapin Teachers participated in the university-sponsored event held on April 28, 2018. Students shared “real-life” experiences about teaching with parents and prospective UM students who expressed an interest in teaching. The day was filled with fun and laughter. There was a line of students and parents wrapped around our tent who were interested in winning Terrapin Teachers swag. To spin the “Wheel of Goodies,” participants had to answer math or science-based questions correctly. The level of difficulty increased based on the participants' level of education. Winners walked away with Terrapin Teachers swag that included t-shirts, water bottles, notebooks, stickers, pens, and drawstring bags.
Hannah McIlvried’s Reflection on Paid Internship Experience
/During the spring 2017 semester, Terrapin Teachers, in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), piloted a paid internship initiative. Interns from the College of Education's Master's Certification (MCERT) program were hired to fulfill one long-term substitute position. During the spring semester, Elyse Sauer and Hannah McIlvried were placed at Northwood High School. They co-taught Algebra I and Algebra II honors courses.
Terrapin Teachers was able to talk with Hannah McIlvried (now Mrs. Hannah Coleman), about her internship experience and how it prepared her for her current position at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD. Hannah teaches Algebra I and Related Math to primarily English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students and Honors Algebra II.
Terrapin Teachers' Spotlight: Dane Grossnickle
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What is your major?
My major is agricultural science and technology, with a focus in plant science.
What made you choose TT?
About two years ago I volunteered with a non-profit and I got to work with youth within agriculture. After that experience I realized how much I really liked working with students, but I didn’t know how to incorporate that with my major. My advisor caught on to the fact that I enjoyed working with students and suggested that I take the first TT class, TLPL 101, as a way to see if teaching was something I would be interested in. Once I was able to speak with Dr. Campbell and Dr. VanNetta I learned more about the program as a whole and how an integrated master’s degree could allow me to actually work in the classroom. I originally wanted to do production agriculture or work for a sector in the industry, but the more I got involved in the program the more I realized that I want to teach agriculture rather than produce food.
How has your experience been thus far?
As a TT student, I’ve never felt more valued in the classroom on the college level. I feel like the TT teachers care about us like we’re not just students, but we’re future coworkers, which is cool. In other classrooms, a lot of times, I just felt like a number until I reached my higher-level electives and then the teachers got to know me.
What are your future goals and how has TT helped you reach them?
My goal is to first complete the 5-year program in IMCP. I am a senior now and I’ve been accepted into the Noyce program, which will help pay for a good portion of that master’s program. Following that year, I would like to teach agriculture at the high school level. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching at College Park Academy (CPA) and Hyattsville Elementary as a TT student and I realized that teaching high school students would be a better fit for me because it is easier to hold their attention. After teaching at the high school level for a few years, I would love to continue my education so I could possibly become a department head. I would also like to possibly work with a non-profit that focuses on diversity in education.
How has your height impacted your teaching experiences? (Note, Dane is 6'4" tall)
This may sound weird, but I’ve learned how to use my height to my advantage. I’ve recognize that when I have one on one student interactions I can be a bit intimidating. I’ve had to work on my body language to be more open by not crossing my arms and not putting my hands in my pockets. Also, when I’m talking to students, if they are working at a desk, I make sure I get down on my haunches so I’m at their level, rather than leaning over the desk talking to them. I find that if I’m at their level then they feel more comfortable talking to me about problems, ideas or something that is going on in their lives.
Lightning Round (what’s the first answer that comes to mind?)
What’s the last book you’ve read?
Nicholas Barks Two by Two. I read with my grandma and it’s a book we chose together.
What’s the last movie you’ve seen?
Big Fish by Tim Burton
If you could choose a song to describe you, what song would that be?
"Brother" by NEEDTOBREATH because the song is about being someone to lean on and being a light in the live's of others. In the grand scheme of things, that's the kinda person I strive to be.
If you had to choose a color to describe you, what color would you choose?
Green by far. Like Christmas green. I love working with plants, especially evergreens, and I feel like green is the color of growth. I feel like we never really stop growing within education. So, we can always have room to grown. Green really defines me and it’s the color of agriculture.
If you could teach anywhere in the world, where would you want to teach?
I’d eventually like to teach in Alaska. Their methods of agriculture are very different from the forms I have learned about here on the east coast and would like to know more about them. If I taught Agricultural Education in Alaska, I would have the opportunity to teach and be taught too.
Lastly, what words of encouragement would you give current or future TT students?
Don’t be hesitant to serve, with all your might because investing in other people is where it’s at. We can have as much education as we want, but until we start working with other people we have no impact at all. If we start investing in future generations, instead of just keeping all the knowledge to ourselves, we begin to mold leaders, so the impact we make will continue on even after we are gone.
2016 Maryland Mathematics and Science Institute (MMSI)
/The University of Maryland (UMD) was pleased to host the sixth Maryland Mathematics and Science Institute (MMSI). This week-long summer continuing education course for PDS mathematics and science teachers serving grades 9–12 was co-hosted by the Department of Mathematics, theTerrapin Teachers program, and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.
Participants engaged in authentic science and math learning through interactions with UMD researchers and hands-on activities grounded in NGSS and Common Core content standards and standards for practice.
Dr. Sylvester James Gates Jr. delivered the keynote presentation. Dr. Gates is a Distinguished University Professor in the UMD Department of Physics and serves on the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
