By LAUREN SEARS
Staff Writer
For someone who has always had a passion for reading and writing, becoming a writer would be the natural career choice. However, one gentleman here at The College of Saint Rose has decided to
take a different path: to teach English to the future children of America.
Kevin Noonan, a senior here at Saint Rose, decided to become a secondary education English teacher because he wanted to continue his passion for reading and writing full time. “I just have always been very nerdy and want to be able to be a nerd all the time” said Noonan.
Noonan is extremely humorous, always joking around with his friends and family. When asked what his favorite part about teaching was, he said “I love that teaching is an opportunity to put on a show every single day. My brother, who is also student-teaching, has said he loves teaching because he was too afraid to try stand-up comedy. I love being able to joke around and come up with fun ways to engage the students.”
Thanks to the accessibility of e-books, more students are becoming engaged in the classroom. According to Noonan, it’s easy for students to find anything they are looking for within a few clicks. “As long as kids are reading, I don’t care what medium it’s presented in. I had a student reading on her iPhone in class the other day, and she was just as engaged as any other student in the class” says Noonan.
Not only does Noonan want his students engaged in what they are learning, he also hopes that his students realize why communicating their ideas to the world are so important. “English is incredibly important, because at its core it is all about communication of ideas. Yes, strong grammar and mechanics are important, but really it’s the deeper meanings in life that are the most important. Students need to be able to recognize these deeper meanings, and use them to better our world.”
He also is inspired by his favorite book, “The Alchemist” by Paolo Coehlo. “It is very simply written, almost like a fable but it’s very inspiring and deals with a lot of deeper themes. Definitely inspiring for work in the classroom, as the book is about being the best person you can be” Noonan said.
Being the best teacher and person he can be requires a strong support system, especially during his demanding student teaching placements. Since Noonan lives at home, he credits the support of his family and friends to help him get through student teaching.
“It definitely has been tough, but living at home has helped me get through it. My family has been very supportive, and I still get to see my girlfriend and friends every weekend, which is always a good motivator to make it through the week.”
There is another factor to the reason why he has been able to get through student teaching: the schools which he is teaching at.
“I feel that I have been very lucky in both of my placements at Duanesburg and Mechanicville, so I mostly have been having tons of fun” Noonan said.
Noonan has had to face some challenges during student teaching but it mainly has been dealing with the work-load of student teaching. He says that “It was definitely tough getting used to the amount of planning it requires. The actual teaching comes easily to me, as I love being in front of a room and I get along great with the students.”
Noonan will soon be graduating from Saint Rose. Post-graduation, he plans on substitute teaching and working part-time as a director of an afterschool program in Schenectady. He also wants to teach abroad soon, and go to graduate school after that.
Noonan has some advice for those who may want to go into teaching: “The best piece of advice I can give to someone going into teaching is to ensure they are a genuine ‘people-person.’ A person can know everything there is to know about a subject, but if he or she can’t come up with fun ways to share that information, he or she will not be an effective teacher. Connecting with kids is the most important aspect of teaching, because if they respect you they will at least make an effort to try in your class. You also need to be incredibly passionate in everything that you teach. Overall, if someone is a positive, caring person, he or she will be a fantastic teacher.”
