Schools

Marlboro Teacher Receives Teaching Excellence Award

Randi Maskery, Marlboro Memorial Middle School, was nominated by Rider student Michelle Penny.

A teacher from right here in Marlboro has been recognized by Rider University’s Teacher Leadership Community.

Randi Maskery, Marlboro Memorial Middle School, was one of four recipients of this year’s Cooperating Teacher Excellence Award. She and he others were honored at a ceremony held on the university campus. The award, currently in its third year, recognizes educators who provided exemplary mentorship to a Rider student teacher.

Suzanne Gespass, Ph.D., director of Field Placement at Rider University, said student teachers nominate the award winners “for being truly instrumental in their development as a professional.” She added, “We are proud to recognize the important work teachers do. These individuals have been strong mentors to new teachers, and have made a lasting contribution to the field of education.”

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This year’s other Cooperating Teacher Excellence Award recipients include: Blair Eiseman, Brooks Crossing Elementary School, Monmouth Junction, Denise Santucci, Carusi Middle School, Cherry Hill, and Megan Steigerwald, Sharon Elementary School, Robbinsville.

Maskery was nominated for the award by Rider student teacher Michelle Penny. In her nomination letter, Penny wrote, “From my very first day, I knew I was in great hands. I could immediately see that Ms. Maskery created a classroom atmosphere that was warm and comfortable. With a relaxed learning environment, fantastic modeling, and comprehensive assessments, it was clear that the students were being given the best education possible.

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“As I took over more class lessons, Ms. Maskery continued to support me at every turn. She allowed me the freedom to make decisions, but was always ready to make suggestions when I needed them. She would deflect questions to me and involve me in everything she did with the students. This made me more comfortable and confident in front of the class and really provided an opportunity for me to grow as a teacher.”

Heather Lerch, chair of Rider’s Teacher Leadership Committee, said, “We offer our sincere congratulations to this year’s award recipients, and thank each of them for their dedication to our programs and our student teachers. The quality of their mentoring is representative of the highest levels of our profession, and we are proud to work together as we prepare tomorrow’s educators.”

Rider University’s School of Education prepares undergraduate and graduate students for professional careers in education, organizations and agencies. Rider was the first private New Jersey institution to hold the highest accreditation possible in teaching from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).  To learn more about Rider’s School of Education, visit http://www.rider.edu/soe.






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