Do you wish you had a network of new and experienced teachers to guide you through those uncertain times?

Well you do! The Lesley University New Teacher Community (NTC) knows that the first years of your teaching career can be immensely gratifying, but also filled with all sorts of pressure that can feel overwhelming. They get that!

The brainchild and natural out-growth of Lesley’s field placement experience, the New Teacher Community was founded by Marcia Bromfield, Harriet Deane and Nancy Roberts, professors in Lesley’s Graduate School of Education and nationally-recognized experts in their field. Supported by the generosity of MEDITECH and directed by former public school teacher Andi Edson, the NTC is a wonderful resource for Lesley alumni.

NTC founder Professor Nancy Roberts wants alumni to know that “becoming a teacher is a process and the NTC stands ready to help all along the way! This fabulous resource is here for all of our graduates. We know that these remarkable beginning years of teaching are filled with combined feelings of uncertainty and anticipation, with both glorious days and those that will test how dedicated you are and make you question whether the classroom is the best place for you. The Lesley New Teacher Community is here to support you and guide you through some of the hurdles of your first few years.”

NTC provides all sorts of opportunities to Lesley alumni, including consultations with experienced teachers, special events and innovative programs, and networking opportunities with Lesley faculty, fellow teachers and classmates.

The next NTC event is “Meaningful Conversations: Talking to Parents and Caregivers about Their Children and Things That Matter,” scheduled for Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm in room 2-048 in the Graduate School of Education in University Hall. Says Professor Harriet Deane, “Parent-teacher interactions can be uniquely challenging for the new teacher, and we hope that this program will help teachers focus their individual conversations and larger presentations on what parents and caregivers really need to know.” To attend or to get additional information, you can contact Ksmall4@lesley.edu by March 21.

Recent programs include a panel discussion in November entitled “What I Know Now that I Wish I Knew Then: Advice from the Pros for New Teachers.” Professor Marcia Bromfield comments, “This event brought many recent SOE graduates back to hear what teachers and administrators wish they had known and done in those beginning years of teaching. After the program our new teachers left enthusiastic, inspired and ready for the challenges ahead.”

NTC also awards mini-grants to teachers which are very popular. These awards are open to recent graduates. More information about the mini-grant program is available on the New Teacher Community website.

Program Director Andi Edson encourages all new teachers to get involved with the New Teacher Community and take advantage of this great benefit for alumni. To find out more about the mini-grants and all of the New Teacher Community offerings visit their website, Facebook page or NTC blog.

Prior to submitting the form, please take a moment to review our Roles and Responsibilities document which highlights the nominee’s role as a member of the Alumni Council and the official By-Laws of the Association.

If you have any questions throughout the nomination process, please feel free to contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 617.349.8622 or alumni@lesley.edu.

Join Lesley alumni, family and friends for a day of fun for the whole family. This exciting new puppetry performance is sure to be a hit!

In space, no one can hear you… learn! Blast off on a galactic journey of scientific facts and pure fantasy with your hosts, Ot and Eema! Discover out-of-this-world facts about planets, stars, meteors and more! Feel the gravitational pull with Sir Isaac Newton, gaze at Saturn’s rings with Galileo, rock out on the asteroid belt, and cheer on the moon landing of 1969. Ever wonder what kind of gas fuels the sun, or where the planets got their name? Find out in this galactic trip filled with cosmic special effects, non-stop action, and an eclectic musical score fit for a universe as vast and diverse as our own.

Register today and we look forward to seeing you there!

We are proud to announce five alumni who exemplify the mission of Lesley University.

The awards ceremony will take place at the An Evening to Celebrate Lesley: In appreciation of our Volunteers, Donors, and Alumni Award Recipients on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at Washburn Hall on Lesley University Brattle Campus.

THE MARGARET A. MCKENNA ALUMNI COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD honors an alumna/us for service to education, human services, management or arts organizations outside of the scope of their professional employment or business affiliations. Criteria include scope of impact on others, length of service, number of organizations served, and serving as an elected official.

Judy Cockerton GSOE ‘78
A social entrepreneur who has created a grass roots movement to fundamentally change the way we view and care for the 800,000 children who experience foster care in America. An educator, businesswoman, and parent by birth and adoption, Judy founded the innovative non-profit, the Treehouse Foundation, in 2002 after becoming a foster parent.

THE SALLY K. LENHARDT PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD honors an alumna/us for leadership in education, human services, management, or the arts. Criteria include professional affiliations, publications, awards, and recommendations.

Peter F. Langman Ph.D, GSASS ’89
Dr. Peter Langman is a sought-after expert on the psychology of school shooters and the prevention of mass school violence. He has trained thousands of people in the fields of education, mental health, and law enforcement on recognizing and stopping potential school shooters. Dr. Langman has worked with children and adolescents for over twenty years. He is currently the Senior Psychologist at KidsPeace, a children’s charity founded in 1882 to meet the needs of children and adolescents in crisis.

THE MYRTLE PEIRCE AULENBACK ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD honors a loyal alumna/us for volunteer service to Lesley University. Criteria include length of service to the University, scope of impact on others, serving on Alumni Association Committees, and working with Admissions and the Career Resource Center.

Ellen Green Bloch LC ’61
A member of the Lesley University community as a volunteer for over 30 years, Ellen has served in several areas of the University including as a Corporator, an Alumni Representative to the Board of Trustees to a member of the Alumni Council and President of the Alumni Association from 1973 to 1975. During Ellen’s many years of dedication and loyalty to Lesley University she has also taken an active role in connecting Lesley’s current students to the Alumni Association, as former member of the Alumni Career Network, and a member of the Student Affairs Committee Advisory Board. Ellen also took on a leadership role for her class, the class of 1961, 50th Reunion resulting in the highest number of reunion attendees to celebrate their golden anniversary in Lesley history.

THE RECENT ALUMNI AWARD recognizes established and future leaders among Lesley University’s recent alumni, defined as those who have been graduated for 10 years or less. Criteria include demonstrated leadership capability, substantial indication of a commitment to the service of others, demonstration of potential for leadership/distinction in the long term, the ability to inspire and challenge today’s current students, and substantial commitment to Lesley University and its mission.

Denise Driscoll AIB/MFA ’07
Denise has created opportunities for recent alumni to display their work through her acclaimed “Material Mediation” show held in Newton Massachusetts, and through two Lesley University Alumni Weekend shows. She has shared her knowledge of art installation and drawing through teaching undergraduates at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. In addition she has continued to work on her own art practice showing in the Boston area and after a recent residency, in North Carolina. Denise is grateful for what she has learned through the MFA program at Lesley, and her willingness to give back to the school in a variety of ways reflects this. She has volunteered for several years to create the Alumni Weekend art exhibit program, sits as a member of the Alumni Council, chairs the University Alumni Arts Committee, presented at Creative Thinkers, Creative Careers, August 2011 at Lesley University, and participated in graduate admissions’ recruiting conference calls for interested applicants to the MFA program.

and

Keith MacLelland AIB/MFA ‘08
Keith MacLelland is a dedicated volunteer and faculty member who has played an enormous role in enhancing the relationship of Art Institute of Boston alumni with our Lesley University Alumni Association at large. In 2008, Keith jointly created an exhibition that was unique and the first of its kind at the University – The AIB MFA Alumni Show. The Show exhibited in January of 2011 featuring 82 alumni artists from all over the world with an opening night attendance of over 400 people. Keith dedicated 9 months planning, organizing and implementing this successful venture which provided alumni, faculty and staff the opportunity to come together and celebrate AIB and the art of alumni.

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!

Conceived and performed by Stan Strickland
Written and Originally Directed by Jon Lipsky
An ALLIGERARTS Production

8 Instruments, 12 Characters, 1 Man!
Boston’s favorite Jazzman riffs about his life and art.

Please note that seating at this event is limited and registering for the event does NOT guarantee you a seat. Guests should plan to arrive early. Admission will be closed if event venue reaches capacity. This event is open to the general public.

Stan Strickland, one of Boston’s most versatile and well-known jazz musicians, as well as a Lesley University Alumnus, will be performing his one-man theatrical show Coming Up for Air – an AutoJAZZography at Lesley University, February 3, 2012. Playing sax, flute, keyboards and an assortment of percussion, Strickland riffs about his life and art, taking the audience on a dramatic musical odyssey of soulful discovery.

Coming Up for Air, produced by Alliger Arts, is based on a true-life near death experience when Strickland almost drowned off the coast of Hawaii and literally had his life and career flash before his eyes. In the course of the play, he explores many instruments, musical forms and dance movements searching for the sources of his music.

WINNER of:

2 Elliott Norton/Boston Theater Awards!!
*Best Solo Performance *Best Director

Edinburgh Fringe Festival
*Musical Theater Award

Lesley University plans to begin construction on a new art center in Porter Square, Cambridge, in 2012. The new facility features street-level galleries, an art library housed in a historic church building, and will brings AIB’s century-long tradition of art instruction to the Lesley campus. More than one-third of all Lesley students are engaged in the arts – through Creative Arts in Learning programs, Expressive Therapies and other programs. The integration of the practical arts with theoretical arts programs on the Cambridge campus promises to enrich the entire university through enhanced educational opportunities.

Professor Nancy Roberts joined the Lesley faculty in 1975, and is a pioneer in the utilization of emerging technologies in classrooms. She is the founder of the Lesley University Master’s program in Technology in Education, which began in 1979 and is among the University’s flagship programs. Professor Edward Roberts is the David Sarnoff Professor of Management of Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he founded and chairs the MIT Entrepreneurship Center.

The Roberts’ are long-time art collectors, and strong supporters of the arts in Boston through financial support and advocacy for institutions such as The Museum of Fine Arts, the Huntington and Speakeasy theater companies.

“Ed and I are proud to play a role in creating a new center for the arts in Porter Square,” said Nancy Roberts. “AIB, as an important part of the Lesley campus, not only brings a wealth of cultural exploration to the community, but a unique opportunity to infuse the energy of artists and art-making on students throughout the university. As art programs are increasingly cut in our nation’s schools, it’s more important than ever for educators not only to place a value on the role of the arts, but to explore the arts in meaningful ways.”

Lesley University President Joseph B. Moore stressed the important role the arts plays at Lesley and the impact of the Roberts’ contribution for Lesley and the larger community.

President Moore made the announcement at the Strauch-Mosse Visiting Artist Lecture, featuring Faith Ringgold.

“Here at Lesley, more than a third of our students and faculty are engaged in arts,” said Moore. “These students are represented at each of Lesley’s four schools, with programs that lead to careers in the arts, the arts in teaching, expressive therapies, community arts and many other programs.”

“We’re honored to name the gallery in their honor, as the Nancy and Edward Roberts Gallery will display the works of local, as well as nationally and internationally accomplished artists,” said Moore. “More importantly, the gallery becomes a vital meeting place – where students, artists in the community, our neighbors in Cambridge and greater Boston can gather while exploring new, exciting and constantly evolving displays. We look forward to AIB becoming a focal point of Porter Square, and we’re deeply grateful to Nancy and Edward for helping to make it possible.”

The Addams Family is a smash-hit musical comedy that brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life. Join alumni and friends for a night at the theater!

Enjoy 15% off of tickets as Lesley Alumni! There are two ticket tiers available. For orchestra seating, tickets are $73. For balcony seating, tickets are $46. The pre-show reception is complimentary.

Tickets are limited, so please purchase today! Limit 4 tickets per group.

Join Lesley University Alumni, Students, Faculty and Friends for a private skate on the historic Boston Common Frog Pond! There’s nothing quite like soaring across the ice amid the bright lights of Boston in the nation’s oldest public park. Refreshments will be provided.

Understanding, respecting and negotiating differences is increasingly important in our globalized world. Teachers and administrators from the Eliot-Pearson Children’s School, a laboratory school at Tufts University, join Lesley to discuss their work to help children and adults better understand family diversity, race and identity, class and privilege, home culture and language, and abilities and challenges.

For more information contact Yazmin Colon Garcia at ycolon@lesley.edu

Lesley Conversations series continues Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 5 p.m. as Kwame Anthony Appiah, the Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University, speaks on “Rethinking Cosmopolitanism and Identity.” Named by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the top 100 global thinkers in 2010, Appiah has written widely on ethics, African and black cultural studies and political theory.