Tucked away in a back corridor of the Curry School in Ruffner Hall, the Student Virginia Education Association bulletin might easily be overlooked. The brightly papered board, however, is worth a second glance. Tacked between a flyer that reads "Want to help a local school?" and a Henry Adams quote that says, "A teacher touches eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops," another piece of paper provides the educationally-minded student a list of reasons to join SVEA. Though simple, this bulletin board represents the hard work of a few Curry school students.
SVEA is a pre-professional teacher organization that offers both undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to explore the field of education. Thw program currently boasts 37 active chapters; The University's chapter, part of the Central Region, has between 50 and 60 members.
These students reach out to the community in a variety of ways. This past year, SVEA offered its tutoring services to Albemarle County schools, collected over 500 books during biannual Books For Kids drives and volunteered at the Virginia Association for Schools Principals and AdministrationJob Fair during its stint in Charlottesville.
In close affiliation with the Virginia and National Education Associations, SVEA members receive education journals and publications in the mail and protection from liability insurance coverage during student teaching experience -- all for $35 a year.
After committing themselves to the Curry School's five-year program for elementary education during their second year at the University, fourth-year Education student Jen Gardner and third-year Education student Lianna Moss immediately heard about SVEA by word of mouth. Gardner, who incorporated a Religious Studies curriculum into her coursework in the event that she returns to private schools to teach, andMoss, who wants to work with gifted and talented students down the road, currently serve as co-President and Secretary on SVEA's executive board. They recalled past SVEA officers' visits to their Teaching as a Profession classes.
"I wanted to get involved in education," Moss said, explaining her motivation for signing up for the SVEA interest meeting. "I wanted to know and learn everything I could."
When Gardner participated in the Peer Mentoring program last year, she said she discovered that SVEA's beneficiaries not only are school-age children in the Charlottesville area but also other Education students. She said on top of Curry school requirements, Education students also must complete 102 College credits. After adding classroom observation time and student teaching to the mix, many students feel slightly overwhelmed at the prospect of graduating on time, even with the extra year built in. As a mentor, Gardner said she offered much-needed guidance to students regarding workable balances of credits and time management options such as summer school.
"The Curry School is a lot of work," Gardner said.
Moss said she herself found the older students in SVEA to be great resources when she was brand new to the world of teaching.
"We were told what we were to do at the beginning of the program," Moss says. "But you don't realize things like test and score deadlines, and which teacher to have."
With 40 people studying to be elementary school teachers, Moss and Gardner said many students find that SVEA offers a close-knit community with vital contacts to the outside world. In collaboration with Career Planning and Placement, the organization invites teachers and other educators to workshops, to which all Curry students are welcome. Workshops feature a number of relevant topics ranging from resume writing to information about job salaries. And by attending monthly UniServ meetings, Moss sits down with 10 to 15 locally elected teachers from Kindergarten through grade 12 and the Blue Ridge UniServ president -- a Curry school graduate -- to hear firsthand accounts out of the classroom.
While low dues for SVEA members encourage most Curry school students to maintain their membership, funding is heavily dependent on regional and statewide grants, SVEA advisor Ellie Wilson said. Within the last year, for example, SVEA received a grant of about $600 to put towards a T-shirt sale, which generated profits for the organization.
Wilson said she enjoys her daily contact with members. After teaching at Venable School for nine years and then earning her PhD in Social Foundations of Education from the Curry School, Wilson said she needed no persuading to accept the open position as SVEA advisor five years ago.
"I believe in professional involvement," Wilson said. "It's important to be aware of the larger professional organization out there."
Wilson sings her praise of SVEA whenever possible. For her, an upcoming car ride to a SVEA statewide convention in Roanoke, or an extra-long general member meeting in a small Rufner classroom, simply means more time spent "talking about teaching, or whatever, just talking nonstop."
Members of SVEA "should be commended for their work," Wilson said.
She added that members of the executive board get together twice a month for planning purposes. That's on top of time spent running the general membership meetings, which are held at least twice a semester.
Consequently, a phone call received back in September was very important to Wilson. The reporter identified herself as a writer for NEA Today, the official publication of the National Education Association. Wilson said she jumped at the chance to introduce the writer to Computers for Kids, an after-school technology program. The project, co-sponsored by SVEA was featured in the 2003 edition of the publication. Over the course of three days, Wilson guided the reporter through a whirlwind tour, including multiple visits to Venable School, the classroom and lecture halls of Rufner Hall, as well as interviews with students and Dean David Breneman, who works closely with the Curry school program.
Although slightly disappointed that the resulting article did not designate students as members of SVEA, Wilson said she feels the exposure in NEA's publication "Tomorrow's Teachers" is "great PR for us." She proudly displayed the entire spread on the SVEA bulletin board.
Gardner and Wilson commented on the comeraderie among education students.
"The professors all know who you are, and are excited that you want to teach," Gardner said.
Wilson said she looks back fondly on last December's Lighting of the Lawn ceremony. Breneman's Pavilion One room was an ideal location for a Curry school gathering, she said. And beyond the usual hot chocolate and cookies, the reception entailed an hour and a half "steady stream of Curry students" spreading holiday cheer. Events such as these, Wilson explained, left her with a "special sense of pride, just knowing that SVEA hosted it and went to the event."
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