Catalina dedicates her time to help students flourish, especially those in the Academic Intervention Service. Inspired by her time in Stony Brook’s Teacher’s Education Program, Catalina believes that teaching is a two way street, and educators can always learn something new from their students: “We can all learn from each other, and I think that allows me to really establish good relationships with my students.”

What does a typical day at your job look like and What would you say is the most satisfying part about it?

I teach first period, so I get to work at 6:45am everyday. I set my objectives up on my whiteboard, I will set up my powerpoint, check emails, and prepare to teach for the day.
I think the most satisfying part of my job is seeing the growth that students make from September to May, especially because I teach some AIS English. My students who are in AIS are currently reading at a seventh grade level or below, so my goal is to get them to the ninth grade reading level by the end of the school year. Seeing them grow and enjoy English is definitely one of the biggest growths and certainly one of the most fufilling parts of my job.

What is AIS?

AIS stands for Academic Intervention Service. It is one of the things we get government funding for so we can support students. I work with two groups that I have for 80 minutes every other day, and that time allows me to small group instructions, or to re-teach, and because they are significantly below average than the ninth grade, we have extra programs to additionally support them and get them to the ninth grade level. 

How has your time at Stony Brook helped you in your current career?

The Teacher’s Education Program helped me realize that teaching literature is a lot like teaching life lessons to students. You can use literature to teach empathy, and a lot of students might struggle with that skill, especially teenagers, so I feel like the Program and the professors helped me see the deeper value of doing that. 

What do you think was the most valuable thing you learned in the Teacher’s Education Program at Stony Brook?

There are two things that have stuck with me the most. My educational theory class was definitely one of them. My professor taught us about how students can teach us things as well, and that really stuck with me. I am not in the classroom just to be an authority figure, so building a horizontal relationship with students is something that I always think of, and I tell the kids that as well, and they appreciate the authenticity. We can all learn from each other, and I think that allows me to really establish good relationships with my students. The second thing that stuck with me from the Program is my student teaching seminar group. Having Dr. Mangiano every week instilling confidence in us was great. Just knowing that I had people I could always rely on was super comforting and special.

What made you pursue teaching English?

English is the best subject. It allows students to use their voices to express themselves and to hear the voices of other students to learn about their experiences. I believe that what I teach them will stick with them for the rest of their lives.

Currently working on his novel series, The Bridge—a fantasy epic inspired by Indo-European mythology—Caleb has transformed his passion for reading and writing into a viable career path. Now enrolled in the Teacher’s Education Program, the BA/MA Program, and the English Honors Program, Caleb’s dedication to educate and uplift students drives him in his studies. 

What made you pursue English as a major?

Because it was discouraged by the religion I grew up in, I originally wasn’t supposed to go to college at all. In high school, I took a lot of computer science classes because I thought it would be a good profession to go into that didn’t require college, but my passion was always reading and writing. When I got out of high school, I went to BOCES for HVAC, but it didn’t really pan out. I didn’t have a passion for it. When Covid happened, however, online college became easy and affordable, and I figured “why not become an English teacher?” I went to Suffolk Community College for English, graduated, came to Stony Brook, and joined the Teacher’s Education Program. 

Tell me about your Masters Thesis. What is your topic about? 

I’m writing about how Viking/Norse-mythology-based media can be separated from the far-right, misogynist white-supremacists and Neo-Nazis who have latched onto it in recent years, and how we can write these stories to be better representations of history that don’t encourage harmful narratives. I briefly discuss the history of Nazi ideology’s ties to Norse culture, and I focus my discussion around Robert Eggers’ 2022 film The Northman, how it actually acts against the far-right narrative by subverting the traditional, ultra-manly Viking legend into a cautionary tale against the dangers of toxic masculinity and warrior culture (the very same kinds of toxic masculinity and warrior culture that the aforementioned groups idolize). I then develop my point by comparing its story to cultural precedents from Norse mythology and the Sagas, as well as by comparing it to other “good” examples of Norse media like Vinland Saga, God of War, and Twilight of the Gods, as well as other “bad” examples like History Channel’s Vikings and the film/graphic novel 300 (which isn’t Norse-inspired, but is a good example of everything The Northman is often accused of being, an ahistorical propaganda-piece that glorifies toxic warrior culture without critiquing it).

Is there a favorite class you’ve taken at Stony Brook so far? Has anything stood out to you?

During my first semester at Stony Brook, I took EGL204 with Professor Flescher, and it was great. We focused on plays by Bernard Shaw. Each class, he would choose a section and we’d read out the lines like we were performing a miniature play, and it added so much life and color into what we were doing. I was able to distinguish myself a little by how much I got into that aspect of class because I love acting. Whenever I’d read the lines, I would put on an accent and everything!

Have you done your student observation or student teaching yet? If so, tell me about that experience.

I did my observations at Newfield High School, Selden Middle School, and Brentwood High School. It was a pretty enlightening experience being able to sit in classrooms and watch the teacher go about their work and seeing how they encourage their students to approach the topics. In Newfield, the students work a lot with laptops, and the teachers computer is connected to all of them, so she could monitor what the students were doing and give feedback. It’s great seeing what they’ve done with technology in the classroom.

Alyssa’s passion for teaching emerged in high school when she began tutoring students living in NYC shelters. Now a student teacher in her hometown district, she is eager to educate and inspire the next generation. Alyssa’s love for her students drives her to be the best teacher she can be: “Every day I look forward to seeing my students.” 

What made you pursue English as a major? What’s the most fulfilling part of your major?

Ever since I was in elementary school, I had a natural inclination towards reading and writing. It was a passion that, luckily, my elementary school teachers noticed and helped me foster. What I love most about being an English major is being able to have both an individual and group experience with literature. When reading, we all get to experience an unique analysis of the text based on our own life experiences and perspectives, but when we all come together to share and discuss these individual, unique readings, each one of us walks away with a deeper understanding of the text than before. 

What led you to pursue both the Teachers Education Program and the BA/MA Program? How did you hear about them?

When I was in high school, a teacher recommended that I join a non-profit organization called Sparks Within Reach whose mission was to support academically struggling students from shelters across NYC. This was my first experience teaching and the only one I needed to know that this is what I want to do. During my freshman year, I had a TA who was in the BA/MA program who encouraged us to join. When I got in, it truly felt like a gift being able to do Master’s courses during my undergrad, and I am glad that I was ambitious enough to pursue it. 

Have you done your student observation or student teaching yet? If so, tell me about that experience.

I’m currently teaching 8th grade ELA at P.S./M.S. 124 in South Ozone Park, Queens. This is the elementary and middle school I went to and that my brother graduated from last year, so, coming in, I was already familiar with the environment and my past teachers were here supporting me all the way. My comfortability from the very beginning allowed me to direct all of my focus on practicing and improving my pedagogy rather than learning the school culture, which would have been foreign to me in schools on Long Island. 

What has been your driving factor for teaching?

Although there are many difficult moments while teaching, my love for my students is my driving factor. Every day I look forward to seeing my students and helping them in whatever ways that I can. Those small one-on-one interactions, sometimes not even during the lesson itself, but right before or after class when I’m chatting with a student, or a student is making me laugh is what makes everything worth it. 

What advice would you give to other students who wish to pursue teaching?

My first piece of advice to those who wish to teach is to get as much experience with teaching and working with kids as possible before graduating. Whether it’s tutoring or being a summer camp counselor, just do it! My second piece of advice is if your heart’s not in it — if you’re not truly passionate about teaching — don’t do it! It can be a thankless job at many points (and the pay doesn’t make it better). Our future students need educators who are passionate and really care about them as students and people.

Currently working as a Junior High School English Teacher in her Alum School District, Tina strongly values the lessons learned in Stony Brook’s Teacher’s Education Program. Finding fulfillment in her career, she urges future teachers to work hard and remember why they’re on the path of education: “Kids want someone to show up for them every day with a smile.”

Could you describe what a typical day at your job is like?

I teach periods one, two, and three, so I have a pretty busy morning. I get to my classroom early to set things up, get my projector ready, etc. Once my students are in the room, everything gets started for the day. I always have slides on the board that outline what we’re doing for the day. We read, we talk about some comprehension questions, we take turns reading to practice fluency, and we do interactive-based sets of questions. I’m a part-time teacher, so I teach three periods instead of five. Then, the rest of my day is spent lesson planning, grading, and meetings with guidance. It’s always lots of planning, photocopying, all those things.

What is the best or most satisfying part of your job?

There are so many fulfilling parts of being a teacher. It’s difficult to just pick one. I think the joy of something clicking for a student and visibly watching something start to make sense is really fulfilling. I also love the connections that you make with kids, when they come up to you and they ask you questions about yourself. I remember having a vocabulary quiz in my eighth-grade class, and two of the girls wrote me an entire story using all the vocabulary words that I gave them. That always means so much, so that’s definitely the most fulfilling part of my job.

How has your experience in the English Department and Teachers Education Program helped you in your current career?

The prep program really gave me a strong foundation to be the teacher that I am right now. Something that’s also special is that a lot of my colleagues have gone through either the MAT or the Prep Program at Stony Brook, so we all have those core values that Stony Brook instills in us. I’m also constantly using the resources and pedagogy techniques that I’ve learned from my professors in my undergrad career, whether that be through actual things that they teach us from a book or just their anecdotes about their time as a teacher. All those things have definitely helped me be the teacher that I am and set me up for success.

Where did you Student Teach?  What led you to choose that District? Tell me about that experience.

I am an alum of Three Village, so I did my observations and student teaching there and then I was hired. I think the reason that I’m here is that it’s always felt like home to me and I’ve always been so passionate about this community. I love that I get to say to my students “I sat in this classroom in seventh grade, that was the seat I sat in, I read this book, I went on this field trip, etc.” I think it brings us closer together in a really unique and special way.

What advice would you give to current English majors at SBU who are interested in a career like yours? (What should they study or do at this point in their education?) 

I would say the best thing that you can do, and although might sound cliché, is that you just have to work hard. You’re doing it for the students that are going to walk through your door. That means that you’re going to have to go the extra mile and go above and beyond. I think that’s what makes teachers so special. Kids want someone to show up for them every day with a smile, so be positive and be there for them and show them that you want to be there for them.