The Changing Role of Education and Teachers

Four educators from diverse school districts throughout New Jersey sit down with Steve Adubato to talk about the changing role of education and teachers in our society, and how they are stepping up to meet the challenges with innovative solutions. Guests Include: Argine Safari, 2017 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year & Music Teacher at Pascack Valley High School; Gary Melton, Sr., Teacher, “Responsible Thinking” Class at Pennsylvania Avenue School, Atlantic City; Frank Epifanio, Jr., Advisor & Social Reasoning Teacher, Camdens Big Picture Learning Academy; Lindsay Frevert, 2016 Milken Educator Award- Winner & Second Grade Teacher at Van Derveer Elementary School in Somerville.

7/22/2017 #3015

Excerpt:

"Welcome to Caucus, I'm Steve Adubato. Today we celebrate educational excellence with four terrific New Jersey teachers. In the studio to talk about what it really takes to be a great teacher, we're joined by Argine Safari, who is 2017 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year, a music teacher at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, New Jersey. Frank Epifanio, teacher of social reasoning at Camden's Big Picture Learning Academy. Gary Melton is teacher of responsible thinking, we're going to find out more about what that really is, at Pennsylvania Avenue school in Atlantic city and Lindsay Frevert is a 2nd grade teacher at an elementary school in Somerville, and that elementary school is Van Derveer Elementary School. That was my way of ducking how to say that. By the way, we met Argine in Atlantic City at the NJEA convention and it was an honor to meet you and it's an honor to meet all of you. And for those of us who have our kids in public schools, we thank you for everything that you do everyday for our children. But in getting ready for the show, one of the things that kept hitting me as well as our terrific producers is that you're all so incredibly innovative in what you do every day and it strikes me that being a great teacher today is different than it was just 5 or 10 years ago. More creative, more imaginative, harder working than ever. True? Yeah, I absolutely agree. I think one of the things that we try to teach our students is to have critical thinking skills and to get creative. As you said, think outside of the box. I'm just really very honored to be teaching music and that's the subject that really can open up their minds and I think it just teaches them a lot about creativity, collaboration, and those skills that are I think very essential in today's world. Stay on that. You have an acapella group that you teach? Yes. Talk about it. Well, it's my boys. It's an all male acapella group and I started them about 9 years ago. Next year is our 10th anniversary. Congratulations. Thank you. And I started them because I wanted to involve boys in my performing groups, but it became a lot more than that. It's just..."