By Joshua Bianco
On Thursday, April 4, 2019, the Professional Development event was held in the Paterson room in the back of the cafeteria
Faculty showcased professional skills
The event consisted of faculty members only, but with the obligation to allow students to partake in providing time and knowledge. The room featured 13 tables, each presenting a showcase of work in their respectful professional background. The tables gathered at the event were Exercise Science/Nursing, Public Health Program, Blackboard: Students View, STEM/NASA, SPM, Guided Pathways, Faculty Association, Business and CIS department, Visions, Pathway to Teacher Education, Honors program, and the History and English program. Each table was represented by a professor of the respected field. The overall intention of the event was to allow faculty members to be aware of other subjects and how they are teaching their students—to be able to gain knowledge and feedback from colleagues on how they can portray a better ecofriendly subject for students. The chair of the Professional Development Committee, Linda Carter, Assistant Professor in the department of Early Childhood and Teacher Education, thought of the event as an opportunity for colleagues to get together and understand the programs that existed within the school. “The goal is to increase the quality of teaching and learning… allowing professors to gather several tricks and tips in one program to another, and practice support in preparing students for a four-year college,” Carter expressed. She struck gold with the idea of having other professors understand several different subjects taught within the school. This allows professors to have a broad idea and an open mind on how to assist students when needing help with other programs, instead of being comfortable with one subject. Another representative from the event, Professor Alexandra Della Ferra, Associate Professor of English held the responsibility for the History/English program which showcased the history of Paterson. “The purpose of the table is to understand a different perspective and the historical side of how Paterson came into existence,” Professor Della Ferra said.
Enticing the value of learning
There are several opportunities for students to enroll in courses, related or none related for major requirements, to prepare them for a four-year school. Peter Hynes, Associate Dean for Academic Supportive Service, held the responsibility for presenting the newly introduced program “Student Planning Module” which allows student to successfully plan out their schedule. The purpose of his table was to advise faculty of tutor services, guided pathway for students, and advice for returning students. The goal set by Dean Hynes was for students to get comfortable with using the module earlier in the semester—allowing students to think more about their future. “More knowledge is better. The more you know, the better off you are, logistically….” Dean Hynes noted. Another representative at the event, Professor Ann Deblinger, Coordinator of the Exercise Science Program/Nursing, showcased testing for daily health which included exercise and body fat testing, strengths, and blood pressure testing done by nurses. This allowed other professors to get involved and out of curiosity, check up on their healthy habits. I walked in the room without expecting to receive such informal advice and knowledge of each program, luckily, I was proved wrong, the professors portrayed a very informal presentation of their work, and everyone got along. The environment was emphatic, loud, and friendly. The room was filled with so much knowledge and power. My visit there was solely for a news article paper; however, I left with much more understanding of how the school presents opportunity every day for students. It was truly an honor to be around the level of professionalism that was displayed. The event presented a victory for the staff members. They went all out to provide advice in preparation to push the students the extra mile to help aid them in their desirable field of choice. The professors’ involvement with multiple programs showed how important the number one goal is for the college—which is to see their students excel and make something out of their lives.
Comments