At Stony Brook University, the Future Teachers Association (FTA) recently held its fourth annual Teacher Meet and Greet, bringing together education students and experienced teachers from the local area. The event was designed to foster connections between aspiring educators and those already working in the field.
Loraine Richardson McCray, an English teacher at Bellport Middle School and a panelist at the event, addressed attendees with advice on classroom dynamics. “You’re the thermostat, your students are the thermometers,” she said. “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.”
The FTA was established by students like Rachel Liu, who is completing a combined Bachelor-Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics program. She explained the club’s purpose: “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. 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.”
Throughout each semester, FTA members participate in activities such as mock interviews, lesson planning practice, and writing letters for their future classrooms. The organization also engages with local schools by delivering supplies and supporting causes like childhood cancer research through events such as Wolfiethon.
Junior Martin Guerrero will serve as FTA’s next treasurer. He described his experience at the panel: “The events are very hands-on. 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 evening included time for socializing over food, crafting sessions where participants decorated glass jars, and a raffle featuring club merchandise.
McCray highlighted changes in teaching approaches over her career: “It’s not just about ‘the class as a whole’ anymore,” she said. “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 is preparing to graduate with his Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies and attended seeking guidance from veteran educators. He noted how many panelists described discovering their passion for teaching after exploring other careers: “Most of them talked about pursuing different careers only to fall in love with teaching and their school community,” he said. “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 move toward graduation and new leadership takes over FTA roles, Liu reflected on what has been accomplished: “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,” she said. “I am so excited to see all the potential this club can reach in the following years with its new leadership.”
