"Successful teachers know their subjects, know how to teach them, and know how to reach their students. They are creative in developing approaches and using a variety of instructional tools to help all students succeed to the best of their abilities." Dr. Diane Quandt Associate Professor of Education School of Arts & Sciences The College of New Rochelle

Dr. Quandt, what is your academic background?

My undergraduate degree is from Vassar College. It provided me a strong grounding in the liberal arts, and prepared me for professional studies in education. At Syracuse University, I earned a M.S. in Special Education (concentration in Mental Retardation). Several years later I earned two more degrees at Teachers College, Columbia University: a M.Ed. in Reading and Learning Disabilities, and an Ed.D. in Special Education (concentration in Learning Disabilities). I was very fortunate to do my graduate studies during a time (70’s and 80’s) when the federal government gave generous training grants, and I received scholarships/assistantships for all of my graduate work.  

I began my classroom teaching career in Brooklyn working with 5-10 year old children with autism. Back then, little was known about this disability in terms of etiology and successful approaches to treatment.  Without exaggeration, I can say that I learned much more from the children than they learned from me in these early years of teaching. I went on to various teaching and administrative positions in other New York City school programs that provided diagnostic and educational services for children with a range of disabilities; I also privately tutored students with learning disabilities. After moving with my husband and two children to northern Westchester, I supervised special education teachers in BOCES programs. In 1988, I was invited to be an adjunct professor in the Education Department of SAS, and I’ve been at the college since then.

Much of my volunteer work in my home community focuses around children.  I currently serve on an advisory board for a local intergenerational day care program, and during the summers, I work with a summer school scholarship program in our town, both as a host parent and a session coordinator. In all my years of working with children, the most challenging job of all was my stint as a Cub Scout den leader for 4th and 5th grade boys!

Where do the students come from who attend The College of New Rochelle?

Our students in the School of Arts and Sciences come from urban and suburban, public and private schools and they seem to have a wide range of interests, talents and abilities.  While most are well prepared for our teacher education program, some students have potential but are under prepared for college level work. We encourage all who are interested in becoming teachers to take our introductory level courses, and to participate in fieldwork in local classrooms.  To continue in the Education Department, students must establish a strong GPA (currently being raised to a 3.0) and demonstrate appropriate attitudes for becoming a teacher. Most students are successful in our courses which are generally small in size, and provide close mentoring by the instructors.  

Our department offers a number of NYS approved certification programs, including childhood, early childhood, middle level and adolescence education, special education and visual arts education. We encourage our students to pursue certification in their field of interest, as well as to explore a second area of certification. Having two areas of certification gives them a broader background, and makes them stronger candidates for teaching jobs.

Effective teachers are respectful of their students, have the desire to make personal connections with them, and, of course, enjoy spending most of their working hours in the exclusive company of children.

In your experience, what makes a successful teacher?

Successful teachers know their subjects, know how to teach them, and know how to reach their students. They are creative in developing approaches and using a variety of instructional tools to help all students succeed to the best of their abilities. Effective teachers are respectful of their students, have the desire to make personal connections with them, and, of course, enjoy spending most of their working hours in the exclusive company of children. Energy, enthusiasm, good judgment, maturity, a sense of humor and strong interpersonal skills for working with colleagues and parents are all critically important. The term “doggedness” that I recently came across in Frank McCourt’s memoir, Teacher Man, is also on my personal list of what makes one successful in this field.     

How large is your department?

The department has three full time faculty members, and a part-time administrative assistant. We rely on adjuncts who are local practitioners to teach some of the courses each semester. These adjuncts enrich our offerings by sharing an enormous wealth of knowledge and professional experience.  

In a sense, we really have a much larger department in that we work closely with almost all the liberal arts departments in the School of Arts & Sciences. To fulfill their state certification requirements, we have designed our programs so students take specific courses in psychology, social work, philosophy, English, math, biology, history, and physical education.

I strongly encourage our graduates to look around and think creatively about their first jobs and where to attend graduate school. There are wonderful opportunities for young teachers to study/teach in other parts of the country and around the world. I’ve traveled to many different corners of the world, and know that those with adventurous spirits may have transformative experiences by spending a few years of their youth living, studying and working in communities far away from home.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

For the past ten years, my time has been split between teaching courses and serving as department chair. While in my administrative capacity, I’ve been able to develop new programs and lead the Department through re-registration and accreditation, the great rewards of working at CNR for me are in the classroom. I enjoy guiding students through courses I’ve designed and watching them mature and grow in their understanding of how to work effectively with children. I spend a lot of time preparing for my classes, especially now as I explore new instructional technologies, and I enjoy this aspect of teaching. I try to plan classroom activities (some work and some don’t) that bring students together and help them discover concepts for themselves. I also enjoy the informal contact with students before and after class, and during advisement times. I hope to inspire my students to develop a strong work ethic and to enjoy what they are doing.  Every spring at graduation, it’s wonderful to see students with whom I’ve worked since they began at CNR, and to feel confident that they are well prepared and will strive to become the very best teachers they can be for their own students.

 
Where do our students go to teach after they graduate from the College?

Our students tend to follow the national trend of staying close to their home communities for their first teaching jobs. Probably about half of our graduates secure head teaching jobs within the New York City Board of Education, mostly in schools in the Bronx or Brooklyn. It is harder to find a pubic school teaching job in Westchester, although several students are successful every year in doing so.  Some graduates who desire to work in Westchester find their first jobs as teaching assistants/aides in the schools, and then work their way into head teaching positions after a year or two. The private and parochial schools in the area (Westchester and New York City) are always interested in our graduates, and many of our students are very successful and happy in these settings.

I strongly encourage our graduates to look around and think creatively about their first jobs and where to attend graduate school. There are wonderful opportunities for young teachers to study/teach in other parts of the country and around the world. I’ve traveled to many different corners of the world, and know that those with adventurous spirits may have transformative experiences by spending a few years of their youth living, studying and working in communities far away from home. I am a strong supporter of service programs that seek to broaden national/global connections, and promote cultural exchanges. Many of my students know me as the proud mother of a recently returned Peace Corp volunteer (my son) who for over two years taught physics in a girls’ high school in Tanzania. I am also pleased that my daughter who is graduating this spring is heading to Chile to teach English for a year.