Education Alumni Profiles

Heather Fontaine '11, Early Childhood & Art
After my practicum, I was blessed to be offered a position in the 1st grade, where I had been working. I gladly accepted, and have been loved every minute of it! 

The Gordon Education Program prepared me more than I could ever imagine. Throughout my day, I have a lesson plan format running through my head that helps me ask the essential questions. My colleagues and I work well together as we are able to communicate on a higher level. In my classroom I have students with various abilities and learning styles, but I feel daily that I have been able to meet their needs after learning and growing through my Education major. So many times I think of how blessed I am to be so prepared! Though I am a first year teacher, I've been in the field for over 4 years, thanks to Gordon.

Alden Sorensen '11, Secondary Education & Math
Many of the education classes at Gordon have a classroom observation and teaching component, providing students with a tangible way of practicing what they are learning. My experience in my pre-practicum and practicum during my senior year was the best training I could have asked for in terms of preparing me to teach full-time. As I entered September the following fall with a teaching position, I knew I could count on the skills I’d acquired during my previous years at Gordon to help me successfully navigate the world of a first-time teacher.

The opportunities provided to education majors, along with the knowledgeable professors and their caring attitudes for individual students at Gordon College help develop capable graduates who are well-prepared to go into the field of teaching post-graduation.

Jane Kolk '11, Elementary Education & English
I am a 5th grade missionary teacher at a Christian school in New Jersey. This school is run by World Impact Organization and seeks to build personal relationships with students and their families in low-income areas of Newark. I teach all subjects to 5th grade and have had the chance to teach 6th grade as well. As challenging as this opportunity is, I know that the Gordon College education program thoroughly equipped me to be a well-rounded educator.

Matthew Quinlan '08, Early Childhood Education & Psychology
I am in my third year of teaching physical education in North Reading, MA. Prior to teaching in North Reading, I taught in Lawrence for three years. That experience opened my eyes to the importance of looking behind the scenes to know where students are coming from and understand how their story may affect how I am able to teach. As a physical education teacher, my goal is to instill a love of life-long fitness and to share with my colleagues that "exersice grows brain cells!" Most of what I do and who I am as a teacher is built around the solid foundation that Gordon helped me create.

Emily (Morse) de la Cruz '07, Elementary Education
I teach ESL in Lawrence, Massachusetts to third and fourth grade Newcomers (students who have recently arrived to the United States). They learn both the English language and academic content in my classroom in preparation for them to move into the regular classroom. My students are all from the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico so Spanish is their native language. I previously taught high school Spanish in West Newbury, Massachusetts and before that I taught 6th grade (all academic subjects) at a private bilingual school in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I live in Bradford, Massachusetts with my husband and my two year old son, who we are raising to speak Spanish. 

My experience in the Education program at Gordon College was positive and meaningful. My professors took the time and effort to really get to know me and offer me valuable advice and guidance throughout my courses and student teaching. I was especially grateful for all the opportunities Gordon gave me to observe and teach in local schools starting my freshman year. These classroom placements confirmed my passion for teaching and my decision to become a  teacher. By the time I started student teaching, I felt so much support from my professors and upon graduation, I knew I was ready to start my first teaching job. 

Julie Freitas Sutton '07, Early Childhood & Spanish
I know that part of the reason that I survived my first year of teaching was because of the education that I received at Gordon and I want to thank the professors.

I have received a written commendation from the school pathologist (who has worked in education for 30 years) that stated she had rarely heard "such an insightful report from any teacher, much less a first year teacher" in an IEP meeting in all her years of teaching. I was told that I was the most qualified teacher in the kindergarten due to my explicit, continuous assessment and using that assessment to drive instruction. I learned all of this at Gordon!

Patti Gelormini '07, Early Childhood Education & Art
I am teaching at the Developmental Learning Center in Warren, NJ. I am a Teacher of the Handicapped and we are strictly for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other behaviorally challenged students who cannot be placed in their regular school districts.

I use many of the activities that I made in my "Teaching Reading" and "Teaching Math" courses with my children every day. Most people that work here tell me that their school did not prepare them at all. I tell them that I learned so much at my school and that I feel very well prepared. I miss everyone at Gordon and feel so blessed to have had such wonderful teachers and mentors!

Jaclyn Taylor '07, Early Childhood & Psychology | '13 M.A.T Reading
I have been teaching 3rd grade at Penn Brook Elementary School in Georgetown, MA for over 5 years. While here, I have had the opportunity to be a mentor teacher to new staff members, to write grants for better school technology, and to participate in committees for curriculum planning. The skills and confidence I am able to bring to my school district have their roots in my Gordon education.

I am so grateful that I was able to get my education from Gordon. The education department prepared me for the intricacies of being a skilled teacher, while the psychology department helped me to better understand human development and to see the big picture. Through their graduate education program, I was able to gain my license in Reading, ESL, and Special Needs, which has opened many doors for my future in the field of education.

The Education Department is filled with quality professors who truly care about their students and I consider myself lucky to have had the chance to learn from them.

Amanda Rodriquez '07, Elementary Education & English
I am currently volunteering in Uganda, East Africa with the U.S. Peace Corps for 2 years. My main project is Primary Teacher Training. I work out of a teacher’s college observing primary teachers, providing them with feedback on their teaching, leading workshops on effective teaching, and setting up resource rooms in schools for teachers to make learning aids using local materials. I work with 116 primary schools. Sometimes I feel like a Gordon professor doing student teacher observations!

One of the reasons I studied education at Gordon was because of their deep belief that through education, development takes place. My education at Gordon equipped me with the tools to provide concrete methods, instruction and ideas to influence education and development abroad. I am thankful for my education at Gordon and plan to continue working with different facets of education throughout my life. 

Rachel Grover '07, Elementary Education & English
I'm living in Manassas, Virginia, with my Gordon roommate, Stacy Gilbert, and this is my second year teaching fifth grade!

Teaching children has always been an interest of mine since I was a child. In going through Gordon's Education program, my interest morphed into a fascinated passion and I developed an appreciation for the system of education and how students learn. Education is such a complex process, and  Gordon gave me the basics in order to go on and experience how necessary being a dedicated teacher is to children, parents and colleagues.

Matthew Taylor, '06, Special Education & Psychology
I currently live in Weymouth, MA, and work as a full-day inclusion kindergarten teacher in the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District. I love my job, and I know that God led me to my profession. Early on in college, I wondered if teaching really was for me, but I am definitely glad I stuck with it. In fact, I've since gone on to gain a master's in education with a focus in reading.

I think every class I took at Gordon influences the way I teach and think, and continue to learn through other classes and professional development. I know I would never haved admitted it while in school, but all the work, hours of observation/teaching, and hours of classes were well worth the time! I feel that Gordon has prepared me far beyond many of my colleagues. Some classes feel like a review because they go over much of the material that Gordon taught!

Luke Reynolds '03, Secondary Education & English
My wife and I live with our son in Marlborough, MA. Currently, I am teaching 7th grade English at Hudson Middle School (JFK) and doing some part-time classwork at Boston College.

What interested me in the field of education while at Gordon was specifically the chance to make a difference in the lives of students. I believe that teaching is all about relationships—and that teachers and students share a unique bond in that they are both passionate about learning, growing, and becoming ever and always more authentic human beings. Indeed—the influences Gordon had on what I am doing today can be summarized in one powerful message: to let students know that we as teachers will never, NEVER give up on them!

Cristina Diaz '06, Early Childhood Education & Psychology
I am currently in Jordan teaching at an Iraqi refugee school. Due to the war in Iraq, many Iraqis have fled the country and are making Jordan their home. The Jordanian government does not allow the refugees to attend their schools, so the organization I am with, Christar, started a school specifically for refugee children. It has been an incredible experience, and I have been able to use a lot of what I learned at Gordon. It has been interesting to see the difference between the way these kids learn and the way kids in the States learn. Most of these kids have experienced some very traumatic events, so they need much more than academics. Sometimes I feel like I'm learning more than I'm teaching! I have truly been blessed.

Melissa (Vogel) Hoffman '04, Elementary, Special Education &English
I have learned so much about becoming a great teacher. I wish that I could re-take all of my classes at Gordon. I feel like I would get so much more out of them knowing what I know now! I have gained confidence that I did not have when I was first teaching. Overall, I have learned that God is faithful and will use us where he wants to use us, and that he has called me to be a teacher. My career choice continues to excite more and more.

I still think about all of my Gordon professors and the knowledge that they have. I think often about what they were teaching us and especially about how passionate they are about what they do.

Lydia Bristow '05, Elementary Education & Spanish
I am a middle school Spanish teacher at Briscoe Middle School in Beverly, MA. I am thankful for my Gordon education on a daily basis. I think I was able to easily move up in the ranks in my current school because I was taught about professionalism and courtesy at Gordon. While at the time I often found it tedious to be assessed on my professional dress and on demeanor, it has been positively noted by my administrators several times, and it helps them take me more seriously. They have commented many times that I don't seem as young as I am because of my professionalism.

Two years ago at a faculty meeting, our assistant principal enthusiastically introduced the concept of "Backwards Design", and we proceeded to have several faculty professional days about how to put it into practice. Of course, I learned Backwards Design in my Gordon classes from day one, and felt privileged to be somewhat of an "expert" with my colleagues. There are so many ways that Gordon prepared me for being a teacher, and I couldn't even list them all! 

Christin LeBlond '05, Elementary Education & English
This is my second year teaching at the Landmark High School in Prides Crossing, MA. I teach reading fluency, literature and language arts tutorials to students who struggle specifically with oral reading and comprehension. I'm currently enrolled in my third class in the Master of Education program in secondary education with a focus on language-based learning disabilities at Simmons College. It is interesting to note that Gordon graduates have an outstanding reputation at Landmark Schools. They look to hire Gordon graduates because of the preparation we've had. I feel I have a head start on teaching.