“I was looking for a master’s program that focuses on the art of teaching,” says 2nd –year M.S.T. adolescence mathematics/special education master’s student Priyanka Menezes, and I wasn’t finding that at most of the programs I considered.” She emphasized, “To me, while it’s certainly important to know your content, it’s even more critical at this point [master’s level] to learn strategies about how to teach math, about how to manage aspects of teaching like lesson planning and classroom management. I am grateful to be learning more about the art of teaching through Fordham’s Graduate School of Education (GSE).”
Priyanka also appreciates that her professors invite discussion, allowing students to bring their own personalities and backgrounds into what they are learning to make each class very unique and meaningful. She also finds it beneficial that Fordham’s GSE is located in New York City, giving students great access to teaching experiences, especially in diverse public schools. She notes, “Students need more resources, including better teachers. The opportunity to do my student teaching in a city school, one in which I might work someday, lines up very well with my goals. “
Priyanka first decided she wanted to go into education because it was the only path she could see that really connected her favorite subject, math, to interacting with and helping people. However, after she worked and did some training in a few nonprofit organizations, Priyanka came to realize there are so many layers to education and being an educator. Particularly important to her is building a strong sense of community with the students she teaches. She puts it this way: “It is not just about teaching students a subject in isolation. Students need to feel comfortable and see a connection with what they are learning to the real world. Learning more about this aspect of teaching solidified my need to be in the education field.”
As she starts her student teaching this semester, Priyanka admits she is a little nervous, but also knows she will learn a lot from the experience. She looks forward to the facilitation, feedback, and review experiences she will receive through the GSE program – experiences that will help her “really start putting all the theory into practice. It will also be a time to make mistakes and learn from them as I go.”
