The number of classroom field experiences and student teaching assignments Scott had while attending Rider.
Why Scott chose Rider
As an aspiring teacher, Scott chose Rider because of its highly respected education program. He also liked the fact that education majors get into the classroom during their sophomore year. “Getting into the schools early is so valuable. You get to apply what you’re learning in the classroom — and find out if teaching is right for you.”
Teddy Roosevelt once said, ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ I learned this at Rider my freshman year and now it’s my teaching philosophy.
History Teacher at Watchung Hills Regional High School
Rider's impact on Scott's success
“In my first education class, my professor knew everyone’s first and last name by the second week. And, in order to pass, we had to know the names of all the students in our class. The point is, as a teacher, you have to know your student’s names. It shows you care about them. Caring is the most important thing you can do as an educator,” says Scott.
“I learned that lesson in my first class at Rider and it was a message reinforced time and time again. Rider teachers put the student first, and that’s what they taught us to do.”
Continued success
Scott had three different field experiences at three different schools during his sophomore and junior years at Rider. During his senior year, he had a 12-week student teaching experience at a high school where he also served as an assistant soccer coach. After graduating, he had two job offers. Today, he is a history teacher and soccer coach at Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren, NJ. “I love teaching, but coaching is a bonus,” says Scott.
“Everyday I use something that I learned at Rider University — everything from managing different classroom environments to understanding what your students are going through outside of the classroom.”