The joy of teaching: Michael Stanton is set to teach elementary school

The fourth-graders were jazzed. About decimals.

“I did an intro lesson where they turn fractions into decimals,” Michael Stanton says. “This is the thing: They were excited about it.”

Stanton may have been more excited than his students. Being a teacher, he says, is what he’s meant to do. Every day in the classroom—every lesson, every interaction with students—solidifies that.

“I absolutely love working with children. I love the look on a child’s face when they get excited to learn something new. When they excel on a test or assignment, it gives me so much joy,” says Stanton.

Graduating magna cum laude with his bachelor’s degree in elementary education on Monday, May 5, from Rowan University’s College of Education, Stanton, 28, is poised for what he and his mentors hope is a long career in the classroom.

Elementary teaching, a field that’s still predominately female, is his calling, he says.

“I’ve been told that there are a lot of kids that need male role models,” says Stanton, who earned associate’s degrees in English and elementary education from Camden County College before pursing his bachelor’s degree at Rowan.

“Between my studies at Camden County and Rowan, I’ve worked in five or six schools and I’ve only ever seen one other male elementary school teacher. The big thing for me is that I want to be that strong male figure, but also caring. I want to be a blend…the best of both worlds.”

Making connections

Teaching fourth grade is his dream, says Stanton. He’s teaching that level for his clinical practice at Osage Elementary School in Voorhees.

“Fourth-graders are the perfect age group. They have a little more independence. They’re curious. And they ask a lot of questions,” says Stanton, who welcomes questions and curiosity from his students. “I’m all about making connections with my students.”

Stanton speaks like someone who has always known teaching would be his life’s work. Not so, he says.

Always a strong student, particularly in English, Stanton graduated from Hammonton High School in 2013 thinking he might want to pursue a career in public relations. While working seven years as a dietary aide in a long-term nursing facility—“I realized I just loved helping people. It was a vulnerable population,” he says—he was en route to earning his associate’s degree in English.

With an open spot on his class schedule, on a whim—and with the advice of his mom—he signed up for an introductory education course. People had told him for years he should be an educator, but he never thought the field was for him.

Intrinsic rewards

“On our first day of classes, we talked about working with kids, about how teaching is more about intrinsic rewards than extrinsic. Teachers want to help kids, to help the next generation. That hit home with me,” says Stanton, who was a camp counselor last summer and currently works as a substitute teacher in Waterford Township. “The first day I was there, I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

Stanton completed his associate’s in English and added another associate’s in elementary education. Rowan’s College of Education was his only choice to pursue his bachelor’s degree. The College and the University are both marking their Centennial this year. Rowan was founded as a normal school to train teachers for South Jersey schools, making the College of Education the University’s foundation.

“Rowan is infamous for its education program,” says Stanton, who adds that John Quinesso, Cathy Brant and William Rozycki, all professors and lecturers in the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary Education & Critical Foundations, have been strong influences. “All of my professors have been fantastic.”

The gifts Stanton brings to the classroom as a student—engagement, thoughtfulness, sensitivity, kindness, and a willingness to push discussions to a deeper level—will benefit him as a teacher, according to Brant.

“His commitment to equity and justice stands out among his peers,” says Brant. “We talk a lot about seeing kids as a whole person. Mike embodies that. His students will be able to go to him to talk about academic and social issues. He’s funny, sweet and kind. He’s a really nice balance between comfort and authority.

“If I ever saw that Michael Stanton was one of my kids’ teachers, I would be ecstatic. I see him as being a teacher for years. The enthusiasm he has for teaching helps kids be enthusiastic for learning. That will serve him well.”

In her 33 years of teaching, Colleen Rossi, Stanton’s cooperating teacher at Osage, has had only one other male student teacher. Stanton stands out, says Rossi, who has mentored more than a dozen clinical practice teachers. She’s retiring this year.

“He loves kids and he can connect with them,” says Rossi, noting that Stanton is excelling teaching a class that is diverse psychologically, culturally and socioeconomically. “Male role models in education are desperately needed. He’s just great with our students.”

Ask Stanton about his students and he talks about them with ease. There’s the gifted writer with an exceptional vocabulary. There’s the girl who didn’t know English when her family came to the U.S. in September. Now, she speaks fluent English. He could go on and on.

“Oh my gosh, this group is so fun,” says Stanton. “They come from so many different cultures and different religions. They celebrate different holidays. We have this little culture in our classroom. Everyone is happy to share and they don’t judge each other.”

Rossi expects Stanton to make an immediate impact in the classroom.

“This is what the field of education needs: Someone who loves education and keeps that joy. I see that joy in him,” Rossi says.

Every spring, Rowan University highlights one graduating student from each school and college. Read more stories about this year’s featured graduates.