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WNYTR Hosts School Partner Meet-and-Greet

Students in the Western New York Teacher Residency (WNYTR) graduate program are fast approaching their residency year. The WNYTR network of school partners were invited to campus on April 20 to meet each resident. School partners included: Buffalo Public Schools, West Buffalo Charter School, King Center Charter School, Elmwood Village Charter School and Stanley G. Falk School.

In a series of mini interviews, Cohort 5 residents learned what each school has to offer and school leaders were introduced to each resident’s unique background and qualifications.

This is one of several steps that WNY Teacher Residents complete prior to beginning their residency year, which includes touring partner schools, meeting school leaders and mentor teachers, and matching with a school after a rigorous review process. 

The next WNYTR event will be Interview Day on April 27 for Cohort 6 applicants. This event will be held at Stanley Makowski, Buffalo Public School #99.

Submitted by: Christyn Sullivan, Graduate Assistant, Teacher Education and Leadership

WNYTR Hosts Classroom Management Workshop

Brian Sepe, a Canisius alumnus and instructional coach, hosted a workshop on classroom management for students in the college’s Western New York Teacher Residency (WNYTR) program, as well as current student teachers, on February 16. 

Using his own teaching, research and consulting experiences as a guide, Sepe led participants through exercises to identify their core values and how these can be translated into everyday classroom practices. Participants were asked to share vision statements for their ideal learning environment and brainstorm the classroom norms that would help them connect with their students most effectively, encouraging a “power with” instead of a “power over” mindset. 

Beyond this workshop, Sepe partners with mentor teachers in local school districts to provide leadership and coaching support as WNYTR students complete their one-year residency. You can learn more about Sepe and his work as an instructional coach by visiting his website

This event is part of a monthly series of professional development opportunities for WNYTR students. The next workshop, which will cover trauma-informed care, is scheduled for Monday, March 13. 

Submitted by: Christyn Sullivan, Graduate Assistant, Teacher Education and Leadership

WNYTR & CUE Host Culturally-Responsive Teaching Workshop

Wil Green, director of the Center for Urban Education (CUE), hosted a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework (CRSE) workshop for students in the college’s Western New York Teacher Residency (WNYTR) program on November 15. This New York State initiative focuses on four major principles for educators to incorporate into their classroom practice: A welcoming and affirming classroom environment; high expectations and rigorous instruction; inclusive curriculum and assessment; and ongoing professional learning. Green has led several CRSE professional development sessions for local school districts, most recently at Allendale Elementary in the West Seneca Central School District. 

In addition to introducing CRSE and expected student outcomes, Green encouraged teacher residents to focus on practical applications for CRSE in their curriculum planning and relationship-building with students and their families.  

This event concluded a monthly series of learning and professional development opportunities for WNYTR students, which included a neighborhood walking tour and a racial healing circles workshop earlier in the semester. These WNYTR-sponsored events will resume in the spring. 

Submitted by: Christyn Sullivan, Graduate Assistant, Teacher Education and Leadership

Campus Candid

Students in literacy courses ECCH 222 and EDCH 509 worked this past month with Director of Educational Partnerships Elizabeth Turner and Say Yes Buffalo to create family-friendly literacy activities for local students and their families. These activities were showcased during the October 22 and November 5 Saturday Academy events at PS #59 Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School, which is attached to the Buffalo Museum of Science. 

Several Buffalo public schools host Saturday Academies every weekend, which aim to promote student engagement and curiosity across academic subject areas, including language and literacy. These events are free and open to the public. 

The Canisius students’ activities included “Saturday Academy Jeopardy,” which featured literacy concepts and general knowledge trivia, and “The Great Race,” which had students digging for hidden words to build sentences. Not only were these activities fun and engaging – they reinforced key literacy skills for more than 20 students. 

Sweety D’Monte, a graduate student in the Western New York Teacher Residency program whose daughter participated in the event, reflected on her experience. 

Saturday Academy is a safe place where our children can come together with their classmates and the children from their neighborhood,” she said. “Here, as parents, we are sure that there will be activities that we will approve of, that are fun, yet subtly academic.”

Participation in Saturday Academies is part of an ongoing partnership between Canisius College Center for Urban Education and Buffalo Public Schools.

 

 

 

 

Submitted by: Christyn Sullivan, graduate assistant, Teacher Education and Leadership

WNYTR & CUE Host Racial Healing Circles Workshop

The National Federation for Just Communities (NFJC) of Western New York led a racial healing circle workshop for students in the college’s Western New York Teacher Residency (WNYTR) program on October 25.

NFJC President Rene Petties-Jones and NFJC Youth and Community Engagement Director Kenneth Vargas, presented the benefits of racial healing circles for K-12 students and practical steps for teacher residents to implement these circles in their classrooms. Residents had the opportunity to participate in their own racial healing circles and explore concepts of personal identity, racial stereotyping and conflict resolution. This unique event brought together cohorts of the WNYTR program, with some residents just starting the program and others already serving as full-time teacher assistants in Buffalo partner schools. 

This event was co-hosted by the Western New York Teacher Residency Program and the Center for Urban Education and is part of a monthly series to promote connections between teacher residents and the local community.

Submitted by: Christyn Sullivan, graduate assistant, Teacher Education and Leadership