Two Roberts Wesleyan College students have won Exemplary First-Year Teacher Awards from the Rochester Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. Kristen Bartnick and Danielle Smith are participants in the Urban Teachers of Tomorrow program, a partnership between Roberts Wesleyan and the Rochester City School District. Bartnick and Smith teach in the City Schools and take classes toward their master's degrees in teacher education, and their New York state certification in adolescence education. Bartnick teaches at the School of the Arts. Dominic J. Bona, School of Arts principal, and Margaret Best-Krizan, lead mentor teacher, nominated Bartnick together. They cited her "willingness and sincerity in dealing with her students; her flexibility, creativity and organizational skills; and her high level of maturity and business skills." Smith teaches chemistry and physics classes at Franklin High School. Thomas J. Lamme, Smith's mentor teacher, and Jerry Noeth, science curriculum coordinator, nominated her "for her effectiveness budgeting her time and resources in order to create a learning environment in each of these classes that is both stimulating and supportive. Smith varies her classroom strategies in response to students' perceived strengths and weaknesses, she does not hesitate to employ techniques which may be new to her." A third recipient, Karl DePoint, received his bachelor's degree from Roberts Wesleyan in 1992 and entered the teaching profession last fall. Suzanne Dooley, a teacher at Rochester's School No. 9, was the fourth recipient. For information about master's degree program in teacher education at Roberts Wesleyan College, call (585) 594-6561. |
