By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
Teresa St. Angelo is not in her usual place in front of kindergartners in the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District this year.
St. Angelo, who has taught in the district for 18 years, is serving as the 2016-17 Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The Freehold Township resident said the experience thus far has been “amazing.”
As the teacher in residence at the Library of Congress, St. Angelo is studying websites and developing lessons based on primary sources; working with teachers from around the nation and from other countries; and writing a blog about primary source lessons.
“The learning I am involved with is too thrilling,” said St. Angelo, who has taught at the Milford Brook School and the John I. Dawes Early Learning Center.
Since 2000, the Library of Congress has recruited educators to work with its Educational Outreach office to help teachers and school librarians incorporate the library’s digitized primary sources into high-quality instruction, according to a press release.
The Educational Outreach office is responsible for directing and developing the library’s efforts to make its resources accessible, relevant and compelling to the nation’s K-12 community.
This is the first year an early elementary educator has been selected for this opportunity, according to the press release.
St. Angelo described the use of a primary source as, for example, pupils going online to look at a catalogue of toys from the 1800s. The photograph of the catalogue serves as a jumping off point for lessons that include making observations, working together and developing skills in other areas, according to the educator.
St. Angelo has taught preschoolers and undergraduate students in the Rutgers Nutritional Sciences Preschool. At the Ocean County College Planetarium, she produced and presented children’s programs combining stories with the stars. She was presented with a Teacher of the Year Governor’s Award in her school district and has been recognized by NASA for contributing to children’s education. St. Angelo is also a published author of children’s literature, according to the press release.
Since participating in the Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute in 2011, St. Angelo has presented primary-source-based workshops at kindergarten conferences and for professional workshops in the Manalapan-Englishtown district.
Each teacher in residence undertakes a project to benefit his or her home school or district to be implemented during the following academic year. For her project, St. Angelo will create primary source portfolios for teachers in kindergarten through second grade.
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), who represents New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes St. Angelo’s town of residence, said, “In the 16 years since the Library of Congress began the Teacher in Residence program, this is the first year an early elementary educator has been selected for this opportunity and I am proud that person comes from New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District.
“Ms. St. Angelo already has a distinguished career and this is certainly a feather in her cap. Manalapan-Englishtown, Monmouth County and all of New Jersey should be proud she has achieved this honor and will be in a position to help educators across the country,” Smith said.