By Carissa Rutkauskas
National Teacher Appreciation Day was May 7 and National Teacher Appreciation Week was May 6-10. For UConn ECE, we are extending our teacher appreciation and recognition throughout the summer! After receiving hundreds of instructor nominations from UConn ECE students, we are recognizing our top 15 most frequently nominated UConn ECE Instructors on our social media over the summer months. These exemplary educators also received their choice of a UConn ECE hoodie or a UConn ECE insolated picnic basket. Below is a snapshot of what students had to say about their UConn ECE Instructors.
Mrs. Altimari, Amity Regional High School, SPAN3178 & 3179: Intermediate Spanish Composition & Spanish Conversation: Cultural Topics - Mrs. Altimari is the brightest, friendliest, and warmest ray of sunshine I have ever met. She’s helped me so much with my fluency in Spanish while still making sure the class is stress free, fun, and engaging. She isn’t happy unless you’re happy, and she’s the best teacher I have had.
Mrs. Caruk, Hall High School, BIOL1108: Principles of Biology II - Her ability to plan out her entire year and execute that plan is always done flawlessly. She gives her students plenty of time to prepare for their exams while being available for extra help very often.
Mr. Condosta, Ridgefield High School, ERTH1051: Earth’s Dynamic Environment - He has a personality that could light up any room, enthusiasm and a true love for the subject that is contagious. Every day I walk into his classroom, I walk in smiling, and by the time I leave it’s always too soon.
Mr. Dempsey, St. Joseph High School, HIST1502: United States History Since 1877 - Mr. Dempsey is the best!! Such a dedicated teacher who puts a lot of effort into presenting slides, grading research papers, exams and projects while having the best jokes and sarcasm!!!
Mr. Fagan, Rocky Hill High School, PHYS1201Q: General Physics I - I am able to understand even the most complex topics because Mr. Fagan breaks it down in a way that makes sense logically. He is very encouraging and believes that everyone is capable of doing well!!
Ms. Field, South Windsor High School, MARN1003E: Introduction to Oceanography with Laboratory; NRE1000E: Environmental Science - Not only has she given us inspiration to lead our lives both inside and outside of the classroom, she is able to give us critical constructive criticism that improves both our writing and abilities to creatively think of different solutions for problems that we face in class.
Dr. Harvey, Wilton High School, ENGL1007: Seminar and Studio in Academic Writing and Multimodal Composition - Dr. Harvey makes UConn English one of the most enjoyable classes I have ever taken. I look forward to coming to class every day because although the course is challenging, she always makes sure that her students are enjoying learning.
Mr. Mizak, Harvard H. Ellis Technical High School, ECON1000: Essentials of Economics - As a student who struggles to keep up, in a class as high octane as his is, I find Mr. Mizak to be an instructor who knows the value of hard work and perseverance, an instructor that can instill a good work ethic through meaningful lessons and hard objectives. Through class discussion and meaningful dialogue in a classroom that promotes a difference in opinion and an equal work environment, Mr. Mizak is hands down the best teacher I’ve had in years.
Mrs. Niles, Lyman Hall High School, HDFS1070: Individual & Family Development - Ms. Niles is very kind and cares about her students. She creates fun lessons that are engaging for every student to help us learn the topic at hand.
Mrs. Norige, Torrington High School, BIOL1107 & 1108: Principles of Biology I & II; SPSS 3230: Biotechnology- Science, Application, Impact, Perception - I am so grateful to have a teacher that cares for her students education as much as Mrs. Norige. She not only imparts knowledge but also nurtures a love of learning, instills confidence in her students, and prepares them for success both academically and personally.
Ms. Schager, Staples High School, HRTS1007: Introduction to Human Rights - The class feels incredibly personal and uplifting while also being a rightful challenge. The amount of writing and research I’ve had to do is almost unparalleled as of recently, and I love doing the work so much.
Ms. Turcotte, Jonathan Law High School, CHEM1128Q: General Chemistry II - She is really passionate about what she does and she shares/spreads that energy to us. She also makes our class really fun and feel like a family.
Mrs. Walston, The Morgan School, PHYS1201Q: General Physics I - She always teaches with so much energy and enthusiasm that makes the whole class excited and engaged to learn.
Mr. Wilson, East Haven High School, POLS1602: Introduction to American Politics - Mr. Wilson is an amazing teacher and friend to all, making our learning experience not only fun, but also engaging. His use of humor and engagement with the class is unlike any other history teacher I’ve had, and it’s clear he loves his job.
Mr. Wisniewski, Berlin High School, BIOL1107: Principles of Biology I - Mr. Wisniewski always finds ways to connect with his classes in a more casual/personal way than any other teacher I’ve seen, and he encourages his students to personalize his room a bit, make it a bit more homier for everyone. He also gives the best concise notes I’ve ever taken for a course of this difficulty, and I’m really glad that I had the privilege of being a student of his this year!
Conversation: Cultural Topics, since 2012. His unique gift to ECE classrooms was bringing alive the language, culture, and history through his storytelling based on his extensive travel experiences in the Hispanic and Portuguese worlds, and his Chilean heritage. In his retirement, Mr. Lewis will move on to his third career teaching Buddhist philosophy and practice, and eventually living part time in the White Mountains and in Chile.
International Studies Association Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA in April, where he presented a research paper on Nationalism and identities in South Asia, an article version of his dissertation. He also co-presented on forming national identities, mass culture, and land rights. Dr. Rafiq was able to attend several sessions, including foreign policies, using role theory and Arab Spring 2.0, and civil war research.
UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators from Spanish, Profs. Gustavo Nanclares and Eduardo Urios-Aparisi met with more than 60 Spanish Instructors to listen to Prof. Maria Acosta Cruz, Professor of Spanish in the Language, Literature & Culture Dept at Clark University. Prof. Acosta shared her talk “Ecocrítica, cultura y nación: La cultura puertorriqueña a través de cinco siglos” (“Ecocriticism, Culture, and Nation: Puerto Rican Culture Through Five Centuries”) with the teachers.
UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from French, Prof. Florence Marsal met with 30 UConn ECE certified French Instructors to hear from Joëlle Vitiello, Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Macalester College for her talk “Enseigner les trésors d’Haïti” (“Teaching the Treasures of Haiti”). In addition, Mary Catherine Decoteau, Career Consultant from UConn’s Career Services, spoke to teachers about enhancing and highlighting career competencies in UConn French courses.
activities including a field practicum on analyzing soil for specific purposes, a discussion and update on plant diseases, and learning about new trends in the landscape industry. The group also discussed students’ preparation for future careers in the Green Industry and took part in a hands-on floral workshop where teachers were introduced to beautiful fall arrangements which can be introduced in their Floral Art classes.
Wolla, Economic Education Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Ariel Solomon, Curriculum Designer, Marginal Revolution University. Ian Tiedemann highlighted his students’ who created a podcast script for the 2023 issue of the Journal of Future Economists. The theme was “Economics of Globalization”. Ian’s students submitted their podcast script titled “It’s a (s)Mall World: Globalization, E-Commerce, and Shopping Malls” which can be reviewed in the Journal of Future Economists. Scott A. Wolla’s shared a teaching activity “Teaching Market Structures with Gum” and discussed “Monetary Policy has Changed. Has Your Teaching?” Ariel Slonim, Curriculum Designer, Marginal Revolution University presented on: “Supply, Demand, Action! Harnessing interactive tools to teach supply and demand” and “Cracking the Code: Understanding GDP and Inflation through interactive tools.” ECE Faculty Coordinator for Economics, Natalia V. Smirnova discussed “Teaching Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Topics in Economics”.
Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Claudia Koerting during their professional development workshop. The group of 13 teachers conducted water testing by taking readings using instruments that measure salinity, oxygen, and temperature. They deployed a water sampler to retrieve water samples near the bottom of the river and gathered surface water samples as well. Instructors performed two plankton tows and brought samples back for microscopic evaluation. An additional two sample sites were chosen, and all samples returned with the group to the seaport sailing center where they tested for chlorophyll content using a fluorometer and performed a light/dark experiment with water from two sites. At the sailing center the group ran their analysis, looked at the plankton tow and compared oxygen uptake in the light/dark bottle experiment. Conversations were held about how these samples could inform scientists and regulators about policy guiding water use in the river. By the end of the day Instructors learned a new method, a new instrument, and made new connections and shared ideas to implement in their UConn Marine Science courses.
