FSU School of Teacher Education

📌 Bright Awelana Bakiweyem is a first-year PhD student in the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University. His passion for mathematics was born out of a personal struggle with the subject, which transformed into a deep commitment to empowering both students and teachers in mathematics. He has taught at the basic and high school levels, conducted action research on mathematics teaching and learning, and supported pre-service teachers through private tutoring in Ghana. Bright stays motivated by the belief that all students can succeed in mathematics with the right support and by witnessing the positive impact of effective teaching. His long-term goal is to become a teacher educator and researcher, dedicated to bridging the gap between educational research and classroom practice.

Rebecca Vasile is a doctoral candidate in Reading Education ✨

What led you to your field? I was led to this Ph.D. Program in reading education through my research experiences in undergrad with the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) and my classroom experience with the FSU Childcare and Early Learning Program where I developed my interest in language acquisition in early childhood and subsequent reading development.
What are you involved in? (teaching, research, hobbies, etc.) As a doctoral student in the School of Teacher Education (STE) and the FCRR, I have had opportunities to work on multiple federally funded projects with my advisor and mentors. I have also had the opportunity to serve STE as the president of the School of Teacher Education Graduate Student Association (STEGSA) and as a co-advisor for the Council for Exceptional Children for the last two years.
What keeps you motivated? As a developing scholar, I am motivated by the opportunity to work with the community groups I care about such as preschool teachers, parents, and young children to help make a difference in their lives.
What are your long-term career goals? My long-term goal is to work as a professor at an R1 institution and learn more about implicit vocabulary learning in early childhood, both in early childhood education settings and in the home.

Our school takes pride in dedication and hard work. This summer, School of Teacher Education (STE) will be piloting a new initiative to highlight the work of our PhD students and faculty members. Not only is this an opportunity to showcase our endeavors, but it also serves as encouragement to those that aspire to be in the spaces that we occupy. Please be on the lookout for weekly spotlights and feel free to engage and congratulate our STE family.

We officially started Summer 2025 semester last week ✨
Wishing you a successful semester ahead 📖📔

We had a beautiful time at our Food is Love event, sharing laughter, stories, and good food as the School of Teacher Education family we are 🤍. We also celebrated the retirement of Dr. Rose Skepple, thank you for your years of dedication and inspiration.

This is an invitation for the Colloquium Series for the School or Teacher Education. The talk will be held in person tomorrow Friday April 4th from 1:45-3:15 pm in the Stone Building, Room G151. Dr. Raines will be delivering the talk.

To register and attend via Zoom use: fla.st/KAK4TU0V

The 2025 Research Showcase held on March 28th highlighted the work students and faculty do at Anne’s College in Florida State University🔬📖

Join the Anne’s college Research Showcase this Friday March 28, 2025 from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm at Stone building 📚

Congratulations to Dr. Sherry Southerland on receiving the 2025 NARST Distinguished Contributions to Science Education through Research Award. Her pioneering work in science education, mentorship, and leadership continues to inspire and make a lasting impact in the field 📚

Today’s colloquium with Dr. Roxanne Hughes was great 📚. She shared about her ongoing research about Girls online STEM practices. Her team and her developed an online 3-week informal STEM education program that incorporated hands-on activities, role model interactions, and opportunities for community building to study the influence of the program on participating middle and high school youth’s STEM identity development.

This is an invitation for the Colloquium Series for the School or Teacher Education. The talk will be held in person in the Stone Building, Room G151. This event is happening this Friday on February 28th from 1:45 to 3:15 pm

You can join on Zoom too at: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97241174602

Tallahassee is cold these days 🥶
Are you staying warm? 🌝

Wishing you a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!