Tina Costanza, Class of ’24

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.