Our Students, cont.
Christine Rivera Second Year | Teacher Education Honors Academy
Motivated by “numbers with a dot on them” Christine Rivera had only a fraction of interest in math until she took a class taught by Mrs. Trujillo in junior high school.
“Mrs. Trujillo got me going on math — she made everything seem simple,” Rivera says. “She referred to decimals as ‘numbers with a dot on them.’ She showed us how moving the dot could change the value so much. Her class was an epiphany for me. It all made sense.”
Rivera went on to excel in high school and earn a scholarship in the Teacher Education Honors Academy at CSI. At age 17 in her first semester at CSI, she student- taught at Curtis High School. In her first two years at CSI, Rivera went on to complete four internships at the junior high and high school levels. Through it all, she says, she has learned from teachers who excel and from those who don’t.
In one internship, Rivera was struck by the teacher’s effort to show off the good work of her students. This teacher put excellent work on the wall and hung projects from the ceiling.
“She encouraged students to be proud of their work,” recalls Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico. “You could see how that approach motivates kids to do better.”
In another classroom, Rivera noticed how the teacher gave out easy assignments.
“She did not challenge her students, and she often belittled them,” Rivera states. “The teachers and students were always going at it. I learned then that I wanted to challenge my students. I would respect them, and by doing that I would earn their respect.”
Rivera commends the faculty and administrative leadership at CSI, singling out Dr. Jane Coffee, head of the CSI Teacher Academy, and her adviser, Marianne Orla.
She also puts stock in the friendships she made with other students in the Teacher Academy.
“It’s a great group,” she says. “We rely on each other. We hang out on and off campus. I really feel like we will be friends for life.”
6 College of Staten Island Aspirations Fulfilled
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32