Lauren Claypoole, Emily Wikoff Cappiello, Principal Patricia Coats, and Jessica Muro

Although Jessica Muro, Emily Wikoff Cappiello and Lauren Claypoole are in their first year as teachers at Timberlane Middle School in Pennington, they felt well prepared for the transition from academe.

The three Rider University May 2006 graduates are among the seven Rider students who have benefited from a two-year New Jersey Project for the Advancement of Clinical Education for Teacher Preparation (NJPACE) $150,000 grant awarded to the Rider School of Education by the New Jersey Department of Education.

Dr. Carol Brown, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences, authored the grant proposal. The grant recipients, selected based upon their interest in teaching at the middle school level, completed the mentoring/professional development program last spring.

Muro and Claypoole are sixth grade math and social studies teachers, respectively, and Cappiello is a seventh grade social studies teacher. According to Dave Oliver, chair of the department of teacher education and director of the School of Education’s field placement office, the Timberlane's principal, Patricia Coats, views them as “way ahead of the curve in preparation for becoming fine middle school teachers.”

“We are delighted to have three such talented and dedicated young women join our staff this year,” said Coats. “They came to Timberlane with a strong background from Rider, and the NJPACE program was an excellent way to provide them with intensive training in middle school education. I am pleased to have been a part of their transition from pre-service to becoming outstanding first-year teachers. They are dedicated, professional, caring teachers who have already become a part of the Timberlane family.”

Rider’s School of Education places students at primary and secondary schools during their sophomore year, a year earlier than most university teaching institutions.

“My education at Rider and additional training through the NJPACE program have been extraordinary,” said Muro, whose initial student teaching experience was with a cooperative (co-op) teacher at Community Middle School in the West Windsor Plainsboro Regional School District. “I developed a bond and friendship with my co-op teacher for nearly two years. This allowed me to gain an extensive look at teaching at the middle school level.”

Both Cappiello and Claypoole echoed similar sentiments. “We learned so much about expectations because we were in the schools so much,” said Cappiello.

“I was able to work in the same classroom for an entire year,” added Claypoole. “I had the opportunity to see the issues that occur in an actual classroom. It gave me plenty of insight.”

Just as her Rider professors and co-op teachers presented new concepts to her, Muro enjoys sharing knowledge about numbers, formulas and historical facts with her students. “I want them to see the usefulness behind these subjects,” she said. “I always seek to create meaningful lessons to show each one what they are capable of achieving. I hope to leave a lasting impression on them like my Rider professors, particularly Dave Oliver and Judith Fraivillig, did for me.”

For Cappiello, a lover of history, becoming a teacher was an easy decision since she loves working with children. “I have a deep appreciation for each and every student and the things they go through in life,” said Cappiello, who recently married. “They are funny and innocent young people. It is a pleasure to watch them grow over a year. When I was a student, Professor Oliver encouraged me to strive for excellence.”

According to Claypoole, her close connection to Rider faculty inspired her to become more dedicated to each student’s needs. She not only wants her youngsters to successfully master all subjects but to develop a sense of self-confidence and a love of learning. “I want them to know they are capable of anything they put their minds to,” said Claypoole.

“Now that I have been in charge of so many young minds for the past six months, I am finally able to take a breath and realize the awesome influence I have on my students,” she said. “It is an incredible feeling, one that you can only have when you actually experience the power of being a teacher.”

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