Christina's Personal Story . . .
Since November of 1978, Christina has been teaching at Snyder High School. She is a native of Jersey City and an active member of her church and women's association. Christina has been honored in many ways for her years of dedication to Snyder High School and the Jersey City Community...
"I am a product of the Jersey City School System and proud to be employed by them. I feel it makes me a role model for my students. I have a BA in English specializing in American Literature and a Minor in Secondary Education. My Masters is as a Reading Specialist. I also have an additional 32 credits based on various classes.
I decided to teach English since I love to read. I miss the aspect of curling up with a book during the school year. I love reading current fiction, biographies from time to time and young adult novels that I may suggest to my students.
Another love is to travel. I prefer to cruise but any type of traveling is ideal to me as long as there is a beach close by. My favorite spots are Hawaii, the Greek Isles and any beach with a good book and a cool breeze. My other favorite pastime is needlework. I have completed
various framed needlepoint canvases that are in my home and have been given as gifts.
In addition to my school activities I am active at my church and my fraternal organization which is the Daughters of Penelope. We are a women's group whose goals are to promote Hellenism as well as to assist in health and educational goals. I am the re-elected president of my chapter and am assisting in the hosting of our district convention which consists of 14 chapters within New Jersey and Delaware. In addition to my presidency I am the corresponding secretary to our district's cancer foundation. This foundation raises money to give grants to cancer research. Last year we distributed $50, 000 in grant money to five groups.
I am a busy person with many hats. Last year I was awarded the Penelope of the Year for dedication to my organization. This year I was awarded the Passing the Torch Award, which is a recognition program honoring instructional and non-instructional staff of the Jersey City Public Schools by the Claremont Lafayette United Presbyterian Church."
After 26 years, how Christina continues to inspire her students . . .
"I keep changing to adapt to them. It's a challenge to me. I have to reach them. What worked 10 years ago doesn't work now... The kids keep me going."
Why does Christina love teaching?
"I love how the students react, how they accept ideas, and what they share in class. It's like the light bulb being lit. You can see it happen. I love that moment."
Christina describes an instructional unit that is very special to her. . .
"My favorite unit has been The Odyssey. I like the idea of sharing the story and a bit of my ethnic
background. As we read, I am constantly sharing my Greek traditions and that makes me feel a sense of pride. I also like their reactions to the epic. They like the story and that is a positive. The other favorable part is their reaction to the movie. The Cyclops comes alive and those who didn't understand the concepts can now see. I also like stressing the difference between what we read and what we see."
Christina is helping students to experience connections between this classic piece of literature and their own lives through a piece of writing on heroism where students identify a hero... In your opinion, what is a hero? Is Odysseus, Pat Tillman (a professional football player turned serviceman who was killed in Afghanistan), or someone else a hero? As a part of the unit on The Odyssey, Christina engaged her students in a WebQuest. View the video clips below to see Christina's and her students' reactions. A few of her thoughts on incorporating the use of technology to transform her classroom follow. . .
"I took a big step today... I still feel a bit hesitant, but it's what they can and like to do. It's the wave of the future and we're not escaping it. It's a different way for them to access information and it's the way they are going to work when they leave high school."
Promoting student responsibility. . .
Through a grant program, Christina's students are reading Big City Cool: Short Stories about Urban Youth (http://www.johnhritter.com/BCCpage.sht) and Christina designed a learning contract to allow for differentiation of instruction. On her philosophy behind this unit, Christina commented, "I like giving them choices. It makes them more responsible."
Christina's thoughts on overcoming the challenges in her classroom. . .
"Every day is a challenge and many times it's the same challenge but with a different touch to it. My challenges include academics, behavior, and the community. Academic challenges are the differences in reading levels of my students as well as their writing abilities. I handle it by assisting those who need the extra help. I include more activities to assist them in their work, such as using graphic organizers to assist in their writing.
Behavior is a challenge... After I try different methods I usually find the correct one to get the student to cooperate. A lot of it depends on the time of day as well as the weather. and has become more difficult to handle but I believe that I need to be consistent.
The community becomes a challenge as what happens outside the school many times is brought into the school in some way... That's when I feel like a counselor or parent... Sept. 11 was an example of this. Once the attack happened every member of the faculty had to control her own feelings to assist the students, especially if they shared that they had relatives there. It definitely was a difficult time for all of us. As I said, everyday is a challenge and no two days are the same."
NJ. As a part of the Freshman Learning Community, Christina and her colleagues have participated in a year of mentoring. IDE is working with teachers at Snyder High School in conjunction with New Jersey City University through the initial phases of designing a Professional Development School. Christina and her colleagues have been working with IDE consultants Tanya Bosco, Chris Dunham, and Erica Runyon to implement strategies and structures that will increase student achievement and actively engage students through differentiated instruction.