Teacher of the Year to Address Educators

04/24/2013 

SUNY Cortland continues to support excellence in teaching by hosting Katie Ferguson, the 2012 New York State Teacher of the Year from Schenectady, N.Y., as keynote speaker for “Celebration of Teaching and Learning,” Tuesday, April 30.

Ferguson’s keynote address, “Excellence in Education: Advice from Teacher of the Year,” starts at 4:15 p.m. in Sperry Center, Room 105.

Afterward, she will present “Be the Spark! The Importance of Belief in Education,” during the Teacher Recognition Dinner at 5:30 p.m. in Brockway Hall Jacobus Lounge.

This year’s two-part celebration recognizes the exemplary accomplishments of educators and school administrators from across the region. Recent recipients of National Board Certification will be honored at the dinner.

Both events are free and open to the public. Professional development credit is available for eligible in-service teachers. Due to limited seating, registration is required.

To register or for more information, contact Alexis Abramo in the College’s Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department at 607-753-4352.

Individualized instruction is a major component of the day-to-day lessons Ferguson teaches to her second graders at Jessie T. Zoller Elementary School in Schenectady, N.Y.  

The New York state ambassador to education presents educational material in a variety of ways and a number of times in order to give students the opportunity to hear, see and experience topics in a way that is understandable to them. 

Throughout her career, Ferguson has served on an array of committees and participating in, often as a leader, a long list of professional development programs and workshops. 

“It is my hope that I can continue to represent what I see all around me every day: hard-working, knowledgeable, generous, professional educators dedicated to their students,” Ferguson said. 

“Celebration of Teaching and Learning” is sponsored by the College’s School of Education, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services and the Teacher Professional Development Network.