TESOL/BLE candidate at Touro University, Emily Georgoulakos’ Text Analysis of “Camping Fun” by Jamie Cydzik

As a Professor for TESOL, I am immensely proud to feature outstanding student work from our MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program. New York’s linguistic diversity demands teachers who can find common ground and effectively communicate with students from different language backgrounds. Academically rigorous and practice-intensive, the 33-credit program includes 50 hours of fieldwork and supervised student teaching experiences. Candidates who complete all coursework, fieldwork, and student teaching requirements are eligible for recommendation for ESL certification.

Emily Georgoulakos is a second-year master’s student in the TESOL program at Touro University. With certifications in General and Special Education for Birth through 6th Grade, Ms. Georgoulakos brings a wealth of knowledge and practical expertise to their current role. She teaches in a first-grade self-contained classroom, following a 15:1 student-to-teacher ratio, in a district that serves a substantial ENL (English as a New Language) population.

My journey at Touro University has been a valuable and positive experience as am able to continue to develop and grow as a teacher to support students of all cultural backgrounds and individual needs.

Emily Georgoulakos, TESOL/BLE candidate at Touro University
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Author: drcowinj

Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin, Associate Professor at Touro University, Fulbright Scholar, SIT Graduate, past Education Policy Fellow (EPFP™) at Columbia University, Teachers College. At the heart of my professional journey is a commitment to transformative education, grounded in integrating concepts like Lynda Miller's philosophy of abundance, which counters Ruby Payne’s notion of a Culture of Poverty (2005). This philosophy emphasizes viewing experiences as assets filled with positivity and optimism, particularly valuable in an often dystopian-seeming world. My endeavors align closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, a goal deeply intertwined with both my personal and organizational objectives. This is evident in my work with initiatives such as Computers for Schools Burundi (CfSB), TESOL “Train the Trainer” programs in Yemen and Morocco, and my scholarly contributions including an article in the Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice (JHETP) and various workshops focused on supporting displaced learners. As an educator in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, I recognize our crucial role in preparing the future workforce. To equip students with necessary digital literacy and technological skills, we educators must first master these areas. The technologies defining the 21st-century workforce could lead to new forms of exploitation if access is not globally democratized. By incorporating 4IR innovations in education, we shape students’ worldviews from an early age, preparing them for VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environments and ensuring they become a skilled, adaptable workforce. In conclusion, my commitment extends beyond transactional interactions, focusing instead on utilizing my skills and privileges to make a positive, enduring impact on the world.