Curry Student-Educators Gain Valuable Experience as Conference Presenters

Curry Education majors are already making an impact on both our youth and educators in the field.

Recently, the College supported over a dozen Education majors to attend several professional conferences. This past fall, ten seniors attended the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators Conference, while Kayla Romig ‘23, Jean-Philippe Guillerault ’23, and Katie Collyer ’23 presented at the New Hampshire Chapter of Educators Rising, a conference for high school students interested in education careers. This marks the third year that Curry College students have been invited to participate in the prestigious Educators Rising conference.

Collyer, whose presentation focused on creating a classroom library that addresses diversity, felt honored and proud to teach the eager group of students. “I was so excited going into the conference,” she said. “I had never had an opportunity to speak at a conference before and I’m so thankful that I was given this opportunity.”

The Early Childhood Education major with a double minor in Psychology and Special Education chose this topic in hopes of sharing her love for reading with her students. “As I began building my classroom library, I struggled to find books that represented all of my students within my student teaching practicums. I realized that this presentation was a perfect way to investigate the ways that educators can create more diverse and comprehensive libraries.”  Collyer hopes that the listeners in the audience were able to reflect upon the influence that connecting with storybook characters has on their reading development and enjoyment.

Romig, an Elementary Education major, presented on ways to create a physical environment that is conducive to learning, while Guillerault, a Community Education major, focused on STEM and coding in elementary schools.

“I was nervous at first, wondering if the students were going to enjoy learning about STEM and robotics in the classroom,” said Guillerault. “However, once I got to the first session it felt natural and easy to teach them about STEM education and how robotics can help reach all the aspects of a STEM education model.”

Guillerault, Romig, and Collyer all hope that their presentations made an impact. Says Romig, “I hope that my listeners were able to determine the best aspects of a classroom that work for them, especially seating. I hope the students were able to go back to their schools and share what they learned with their teachers.”

All three shared a collective and deep appreciation for the Curry Education Department and faculty, citing the relationships and support system that has prepared them to reach their goals after graduation.

“The education department has been one of my greatest supports since beginning at Curry College in 2019,” says Collyer. “This group has cheered me on from day one and has allowed me to flexibly explore my interests through the completion of my minors. Regardless of whether I needed help on a lesson plan, getting into a course during course registration, or if I just needed someone to talk to, they always worked in tandem with one another to ensure that I was taken care of.”

Because of the close-knit community at Curry, within the Education Department in particular, the relationships formed with their peers in their major have also been a crucial piece of their personal and professional growth.

Romig notes that her favorite memory at Curry “…isn’t really an event, but more the people I’ve met within the major. The students in the Elementary/Special/Early Childhood tracks have grown really close over the four years from being in class together all of the time. I feel like I was able to create a family with my classmates and I’m thankful that Curry brought us together.”