“You’re the thermostat, your students are the thermometers,” said Loraine Richardson McCray, an English teacher at Bellport Middle School, addressing teacher education students at Stony Brook University during a recent panel. “Whatever temperature you set, that’s the temperature they’re going to be at. So you have to really know who you are in your classroom in order to create the atmosphere that works best for you, but also works for them as you get to know their learning styles.”
McCray was one of several educators speaking at the fourth annual Teacher Meet and Greet, organized by Stony Brook’s Future Teachers Association (FTA). The event is designed to connect students pursuing teaching careers with experienced professionals.
“We started the Future Teachers Association for people pursuing careers in education to come together and hold events that help us better understand the profession,” said Rachel Liu, FTA co-founder and soon-to-be graduate of the combined Bachelor-Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics program. “When I was a freshman, there wasn’t a huge education community here, so we wanted to build that up and create more networking opportunities at Stony Brook.”
Since it began, FTA has held regular meetings throughout each semester where members conduct mock interviews, practice teaching lessons, make arts and crafts related to classrooms, or write letters intended for their future students. The group also participates in outreach activities such as delivering school supplies locally and raising funds for childhood cancer research through Wolfiethon.
“The events are very hands-on,” said Martin Guerrero, a junior who will become FTA’s next treasurer. “And listening to the panel tonight was a great experience. I got the opportunity to familiarize myself with some lovely Long Island teachers, and they had a lot of great information to disperse.”
The event included a buffet dinner followed by mingling among attendees. There were activities such as crafting mini glass jars with beads and stickers. A raffle concluded the evening with prizes like FTA shirts and gift bags.
Reflecting on changes within teaching over her career, McCray said: “It’s not just about ‘the class as a whole’ anymore. We really do look at each individual student, whereas years ago it used to be ‘that’s the group, help them as you can.’ Now there’s no question — you have to individualize and differentiate because the students need that.”
Eric Pentecoste attended as a current student teacher preparing for graduation this spring with his Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies. He said he appreciated hearing from veteran educators about their commitment: “Most of them talked about pursuing different careers only to fall in love with teaching and their school community,” he noted. “To me, this only reiterates the strong passions that teachers have for their students and for the topics they are interested in.”
As founding members prepare for graduation and job applications across Long Island schools, newer leaders like Guerrero plan on continuing professional development efforts within FTA.
“I am incredibly proud of the legacy we built with the Future Teachers Association, creating a community where aspiring teachers can find support, share resources, and remind each other of their shared passion,” Liu added. “I am so excited to see all the potential this club can reach in the following years with its new leadership.”
