COLLEGE PARK, MD (September, 2014) "Astronomy has been my passion since I was a child. I love sharing the wonders of the universe with others," explains Bryan Curtis, a 2014 COE graduate newly hired as an 8th grade science teacher at Greenbelt Middle School. Curtis was prominently featured this month in a Washington Post article on professional development for new teachers at Prince George's County Public Schools. Reached for comment about the Post story, he offered even more intriguing thoughts on his journey into the classroom, his program and instructors at the College of Education, and the philosophy he brings to teaching.
"At an outreach event in 2012, I was interacting with several young kids who stopped by for a look through my telescope," Bryan recalls. "I didn't expect the level of questions they were asking, and I was ecstatic about their interest. I left feeling energized. That's when I realized I needed to become an educator. After a discussion with my wife, I enrolled in my first education courses.""
Bryan pursued his new aspiration through the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership's Bachelor of Science program in Middle School Mathematics and Science Education (MSMS). This year, he was a member of the program's first graduating cohort.
Conceived in 2008, MSMS focuses on the interdisciplinary connections between content areas, the use of technology in the classroom, and in the words of the program's coordinator, Dr. Daniel Levin "connecting with the whole student." What distinguishes the program, Dr. Levin explains, is how it combines depth of disciplinary expertise in math and science, insight into adolescent development, and an understanding of how teachers develop fruitful relationships with students, families, and communities.
"The Middle School Math and Science program was strong, and I feel confident that I've gained many of the tools I need to meet the challenges I face," Bryan says. "I cant tell you how proud I am to be a member of the first graduating class of MSMS. Maryland and New Jersey are getting some amazing middle school educators, and we owe a large part of that to this program."
Bryan credits two COE instructors, Christopher Ellis and Jessica DeMink-Carthew, with inspiring him in his pursuit of a teaching career.
Bryan also reflected on his student teaching experience at Greenbelt Middle and his new goals as a full-time teacher: "As a student teacher, I learned the importance of fostering relationships with my students the earlier the better. I took time to learn who they are as people, helping me create lessons based on their interests and experiences. Once I earned their trust, their efforts in my classroom improved noticeably. This year, I plan to grow my relationship-building skills and my ability to connect learning to students' lives. And I want to continue work I began with three other COE students last year, helping to build a positive school culture."
Dr. Levin offered high praise for all the 2014 MSMS graduates: "Bryan is one of 11 incredible candidates we graduated this year. There's not a weak link in the bunch. Across the board, this was the most successful cohort of new teachers I've ever seen."
Read the Washington Post article.
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