Alumna could win teaching excellence awards

Tracy Earley Proffitt ’04 is in the running for the McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence, a prestigious annual award that recognizes outstanding teachers with prizes of $25,000.

Proffitt, who teaches in the Gifted Opportunities Center at Lynchburg City’s R.S. Payne Elementary School, will find out in April whether she is one of this year’s McGlothlin Awards winners.

Proffitt has been a teacher for most of the 10 years since she graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. She and her husband, also a teacher, spent three years working together in another field but then recognized their calling was in the classroom. “We both realized that teaching is where we want to come back to,” she said.

Her students and their parents are glad that Proffitt came to that realization. “She really knows how to stimulate a young child’s imagination and channel it into learning,” said Mari Ishibashi, a Randolph political science professor whose son, Elliot, is in Proffitt’s class. “She makes learning enjoyable, creative, and challenging for students.”

Proffitt employs a “flipped classroom” approach, in which many of her lectures are recorded for students to watch at home so more class time is spent on application. Her assignments involve hands-on activities and creative ways of thinking about the concepts.

For example, one assignment asked students to design a playground and describe it to demonstrate their understanding of force and motion. Ishibashi said such challenges help her son enjoy learning. “I really like the fact that he feels so excited, not burdened, about the prospect of doing these projects,” she said.

Proffitt gained the courage to teach this way in part thanks to her fourth grade teacher, who had a similar teaching style. Proffitt said that Randolph’s liberal arts education, and especially the teacher education curriculum, taught her about setting and meeting high standards.

“There was no room to be a slacker and not meet the expectations,” she recalled. “That has carried over to my classroom. If I have high expectations, then my students meet them. If they are not capable of meeting them, then I get involved and help them.”

She also learned about the personal touch that helps in teaching. “I had professors who really invested in me, who, outside of class, cared about what was going on. I try to be that for my students, too.”

Randolph students teach science at local elementary school

A group of fifth graders leaned over their tables and listened to Treasa Bryant ’13. She held up one of the petri dishes the students had started experimenting with the day before and pointed out how bacteria had grown on the dish overnight.

Maddy Carmain ’13 teaches fifth-grade students about micro-
organisms at Dearington Elementary School in Lynchburg.

“Are they eating now?” one student asked.

“Yes, they are eating now, like this,” Bryant said, drawing smiles from the students by mimicking chomping sounds.

In another classroom a few feet away, another elementary student asked Maddy Carmain ’13 numerous questions about microbiology. “What was the first bacteria on earth?” he asked.

“I don’t think scientists know,” Carmain answered.

Fifth graders at Dearington Elementary School in Lynchburg learned about the microscopic world last week with the help of Randolph College students like Bryant and Carmain.

“I saw some natural-born teachers emerge,” said Lisa Stewart, a teacher at Dearington. “My kids have understood everything they said, and every student is engaged.”

Adam Houlihan, a Randolph biology professor, brings his microbiology students to the school once each year. On the first day, the Randolph students taught the fifth graders about bacteria and showed them how to collect bacterial samples from their environment. On the second day of the project, the students analyzed the amount of bacteria that had grown.

Sergio Rodriguez ’14 points out bacteria for a Dearington Elementary student.

The hands-on lesson helped the elementary students picture themselves working in science later on. “We had one student yesterday saying, ‘This makes me want to be a doctor,’” said Tawanda Johnson ’90, an alumna who now teaches science at Dearington.

Johnson was happy to see Randolph students helping younger students gain an interest in science. “Randolph was where I first got motivated to go into science,” Johnson said. “It’s good to see them still sending scientists out into the field.”

The annual project was featured on a news segment by WSET, a Lynchburg-based ABC Affiliate, Monday morning. Watch the report here: http://www.wset.com/story/20302622/college-students-teach-fifth-graders-about-germs

For more pictures of the project, browse this Facebook photo album.

Transfer student prepares for teaching career through Randolph classes, research project

After attending a community college for one year, Dominique Rose ’14 was looking for a small college that could help him in his quest to become a teacher. After he learned about the education program at Randolph—which would allow him to finish his bachelor’s degree and quickly earn a master’s degree in teaching—the decision was easy.

Studying at Randolph also gave Rose a unique opportunity to study teaching. This year, he participated in a Summer Research project that explored the attributes and characteristics teachers need and measured the success of Randolph’s education program.

“Subject matter knowledge doesn’t make you a good teacher,” Rose said. “You have to be able to communicate and understand your students. You need to be well versed in teaching, able to reach students with different learning styles.”

Dominique Rose ’14 explains his Summer Research project to Randolph professors
Tatiana Gilstrap and Holly Tatum during a Summer Research Symposium on Sept. 1.

Rose grew up in Amherst County, just across the James River from Randolph College. After graduating from high school, he attended Central Virginia Community College. He transferred to Randolph after attending an open house and deciding the education program was the right fit.

In his first semester at Randolph, Rose’s largest class had only 20 students—which is large compared to many classes at Randolph, but small compared to classes at other colleges Rose had considered. He enjoys being able to work closely with faculty. “The professors here are so friendly, they’re able to build relationships with students,” Rose said. “I can email my professors and they usually email me back within a few hours. That is so convenient.”

During one of Rose’s classes, his work caught the attention of education professor Roberta Parker. “I was very impressed by his tenacity and work ethic,” Parker said. “He is a conscientious student—always willing to go above and beyond to accomplish any task set before him.”

Parker invited Rose to join her and another education professor, Peggy Schimmoeller, for a project in Randolph’s Summer Research Program. They were assessing how well Randolph’s curriculum helps students gain the knowledge and attributes of good teachers.

Rose spent the summer reading current research about effective teaching practices and interviewing Randolph graduates who are now teachers. He asked them about the professional attributes and teaching skills that they developed at Randolph and how they are applying those skills in the classroom. He recently presented his findings in a symposium for the Summer Research Program.

Rose is pursuing certifications for special education, elementary education, and physical education. After finishing his undergraduate studies, he plans to enroll in Randolph’s one-year Master of Arts in Teaching program.

Outside of his studies, Rose is engaged in extracurricular activities. He is a student government senator for his residence hall, and he is a leader in Campus Outreach, a Christian fellowship ministry for students.

He said transfer students who look for opportunities can find many ways to integrate with campus life. “People here are so friendly, and they enjoy making new friends and carrying on good conversations,” Rose said.

Youngest class of "Evens" graduates from Randolph College Nursery School

 Randolph College graduated its youngest “Evens” this week. On Tuesday evening, 15 “seniors” from the Randolph College Nursery School Class of 2012 received their diplomas and sang the much loved-school song, “Apple Red Happiness,” one last time.

A crowd of parents, grandparents, and friends packed Smith Banquet Hall for the event, which featured dinner, the diploma ceremony and multiple performances from the “seniors” as well as the “juniors” from the school.

“Graduation is a bittersweet event,” said Holly Layne, director. “We know our children are ready to take on the world of kindergarten, and we are excited for them. But it is so hard letting them go. It’s like saying good-bye to a beloved family member.”

The preschool was established in 1943 as a half-day program dedicated to providing quality education to young children. Today, the school offers multiple options for families, including full-day, half-day, and a summer camp program. The program serves children 3-5 years of age, and the students have access to a variety of campus resources and facilities.

“Randolph College Nursery School is a treasure to the preschoolers who experience the student-centered, dynamic curriculum that has been developed so thoughtfully over the program’s 69-year-history,” said Mimi Csatlos, a parent of a graduate. “And it is treasure to the parents of those preschoolers, too!

“In a time when younger generations are so often criticized for struggling to think critically and independently, to see three-and four-year-olds striving to solve problems and generate plans, all within the context of developmentally appropriate fun and exploration, is inspiring,” she added. “My husband and I both feel that the ‘High Scope’ educational model to which RCNS subscribes has helped us become better parents. Finally, the full-day preschool option has been a lifesaver for our family; we love that the afternoons are not merely about supervision— the learning continues all day, and this is another distinguishing attribute of the RCNS program. Our daughter is beautifully prepared for kindergarten and beyond.”

The Randolph College Nursery School has long been recognized for its excellent child-centered curriculum. In 2009, it was one of just 31 childcare providers in the state to receive a four-star rating from the newly created Virginia Star Quality Initiative, a voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early learning programs. The four-star rating is the highest rating given to date.

Randolph College Nursery School is currently accepting applications for the fall. A limited number of spots are available. For more information or a tour, please contact Holly Layne at hlayne@randolphcollege.edu or 947-8787.



 

Physics Club Wins National Award

The Randolph College chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) has been named an Outstanding Chapter by the National Society of Physics Students for 2008-2009.

This is the fourth national Outstanding Chapter award for the club, having earned the honor in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2007-08.

"We have an outstanding group of students who are passionate about physics," said faculty advisor Peter Sheldon, professor of physics. "We won this award because of their dedication to bringing science to the public."

The award is the culmination of a very eventful 2008-09 academic year for the group.

• The chapter won the 2008 Blake Lilly Prize for their work with Randolph's annual Science Day for local elementary school children. That event also won them the Randolph College award for Best Philanthropic Event.


• SPS hosted activities for all students including field trips to an amusement park to enjoy the physics of rollercoasters and the Smithsonian Institution, a photo contest, a project to design and build a t-shirt gun, and a Wii tournament.


• In addition, four physics majors received travel grants from SPS National to attend and present research at the American Physical Society National Meeting.


• SPS President Wai Sze Cheung, with the help of SPS, coached a group of children in the FIRST Robotics tournament.


• SPS ran the Lynchburg area’s first Science Festival, and their signature event, Science Day, attracted about 300 children, teachers, and their families.


• Randolph hosted the Society of Physics Students’ Zone 4 Meeting, a regional student physics conference.

Sheldon praised the 2008-09 officers of the SPS for their leadership and all the clubs members for their enthusiasm They were ...

• President: Wai Sze (Winncy) Cheung
• Vice President: Tiffany Paonessa
• Secretary: Catherine Khoo
• Treasurer: Yanpaing Oo
• Historian: Nema Marjana

Links

• Learn more about Randolph College Physics Department
• Dr. Peter Sheldon discusses what it's like to study physics at Randolph
• Society of Physics Student web site
• Randolph Physics Videos on YouTube
• Physics Department in the News
• SPS presents The Human Hamster Wheel

Video: Psychology Student Discusses Her Research

Psychology major Lexi Mandarakas talks about her Summer Research project on best practices in teaching and learning with professor Beth Schwartz.

The project will result in published work, which puts Mandarakas at an advantage as she applies to graduate school and seeks future employment.



Watch more Randolph College videos > > >

Randolph College's Preschool Program Rated One of Best in Virginia

Early childhood education program for Randolph's "youngest" students receives recognition under new state initiative

Randolph College Nursery School has received four-star rating from the Virginia Star Quality Initiative.

Randolph College’s Nursery School is one of just 31 childcare providers in the state to receive a four-star rating from the Virginia Star Quality Initiative, a new voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early learning programs. The four-star rating is the highest given to date.

“This was an intense year-long process, but the commitment was worth the time,” said Holly Layne, director of Randolph’s preschool program. “We were proud to learn we had received stars because the rating validates that we are providing a high quality early childhood experience for our children. Quality childcare is vital to ensuring that all children enter school prepared to succeed, not just academically, but in life.

“The Quality Improvement Plan is our main focus in this process,” she added. “It guides us along the path to continually improve our efforts to best serve children. All the programs in the Lynchburg area that are participating in QRIS should be commended for their commitment to quality. It has been nice to see the programs working together and supporting each other to ensure that every child in our region has access to quality care.”

The Virginia Star Quality Initiative is a system designed to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early child care and education settings that families consider for their children.

The Initiative is a partnership between the Office of Early Childhood Development and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and is part of an overall state plan to improve, integrate, and evaluate all early childhood services, infrastructure, and public engagement efforts in the Commonwealth. The program provides childcare providers and preschools with resources and mentors as well as a consistent measure of program quality.

Smart Beginnings Central Virginia is coordinating the effort regionally with early childhood educators. Three local early childcare providers received either three or four stars during the first year of the program.

“We’re very proud to have three such excellent programs that are continuously working to improve the standards for early childhood education,” said Gayle Lucado, coordinator for Smart Beginnings Central Virginia. “We offer our congratulations to Randolph for being one of the first to begin this process and for being so successful. We’re excited that we are going to be working with even more early childhood educators this coming year.”

Early learning providers who participate in the Star Quality Initiative are provided with a way to continually improve the quality of their services. The Initiative has five Star levels that incorporate and build upon current regulations for early care and education programs. The highest rating given this year was four stars.

“The Virginia Star Quality Initiative is much more than a rating; it recognizes provider achievements and improvements in quality.” said Phylis Benner, special projects manager for the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. “A program with a star rating has exceeded required standards and is on a quality improvement path; assures parents of its focus on providing high quality experiences for all children and reflects a culture of commitment to excellence among staff.”

Info about the Virginia Star Quality Initiative

• Programs are awarded from one to five stars based on achievement in each of the four standard areas. The four standard areas in the Virginia Star Quality Initiative– 1) education, qualifications and training of the teaching staff; 2) interactions among teachers and students; 3) group size and child-to-teacher ratio; and 4) learning environment and instructional practices–have indicators that must be achieved for each star level.
• Programs are assessed by a thorough documentation review and by on-site observations by trained and reliable Star Quality Raters. More than 100 programs in 13 communities across Virginia have been awarded a star rating.

For more information or to enroll in Randolph College’s preschool program , please see www.randolphcollege.edu/rcns

For more information on the Virginia Star Quality Initiative and to see a list of rated early learning programs, go to www.smartbeginnings.org/QRIS