Twenty-six undergraduate students in Fairfield University’s “Philosophy of Education” course recently visited Marvin Elementary School in Norwalk, Connecticut to gain hands-on experience in teaching and learning practices.
A recent visit by Fairfield students to third-grade classrooms at Marvin Elementary School in Norwalk was spearheaded by Bryan Ripley Crandall, PhD, professor of educational studies and director of the Connecticut Writing Project, in collaboration with Sue-Ellen O'Shea, Marvin Elementary’s principal, and literacy specialist Cassandra Perrone. Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, who attended Marvin as a kid, joined the group as part of his ongoing collaboration with the Connecticut Writing Project.
The college students shared their experiences on the path to becoming future educators and provided valuable insights and mentorship to the elementary school students about their career trajectory. In return, the third-graders demonstrated firsthand the benefits of teaching and learning in multilingual environments.
Dr. Crandall observed that working with a diverse student body allows future educators to develop strategies to support all students and emphasized the benefits of exposing aspiring teachers to a variety of educational environments. “The goal is to have my students thinking critically about the roles of education and the importance of learning,” he said.
As part of his teaching pedagogy, Dr. Crandall seeks to immerse future teachers in service-learning courses as much as possible. “I like to provide Fairfield students opportunities to engage with young people and teachers, to expand their knowledge about demographics in the United States and best practices for supporting all youth,” he said. Such experiences are enriched by community and local partnerships, which he fosters through the Connecticut Writing Project.
The Fairfield University students returned from the classroom visit energized, with one Marvin Elementary teacher noting that the “undergraduates accomplished in two hours what typically takes more than two weeks.” The “Philosophy of Education” class has continued its work at Marvin, deepening the undergraduates’ educational engagement and exemplifying the power of community partnerships at Fairfield University’s School of Education and Human Development in shaping future educators.
