Jim Shuman is teaching students how to teach.   Shuman, associate professor and chair of education, began his teaching career as a public school math and science teacher, but changed his field when he returned to graduate school. “It’s a multiplier factor,” Shuman said.  “I knew that I could influence more students by teaching teachers how to teach well than simply by teaching students myself.”

Shuman has received numerous awards for his teaching expertise throughout his 40-year career.  He has done years of work with honors programs for secondary science students through the National Youth Science Foundation and has given time to his profession through state and national organizations.  He is a proponent of the constructivist theory in education (www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/resources/constructivistlearning.html) and is co-editor of the online Journal for the Practical Application of Constructivist Theory in Education (JPACTe). 

Recently, Shuman has become involved with the accreditation of teacher education programs throughout the U.S. and abroad, serving on the accreditation panel of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), a national accrediting agency in Washington, D.C.  St. Lawrence recently earned TEAC accreditation.

Shuman teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses.  He supervises undergraduate student teaching and teaches graduate students who are already professional certified to teach.  To read about his teaching philosophy, click here.
           
“The field of education is highly interdisciplinary, which aligns with my own educational background in the liberal arts and sciences,” Shuman said.  “I really enjoy working with young people who want to become good teachers.”

Shuman says that he hopes his students “can understand the multi-faceted complexity of teaching, and can develop professional attitudes and skills that will last them a lifetime.

“I find genuine pleasure in working with people who have set their goals on a future in education and want to work hard to do well,” Shuman said.  “Our schools need and deserve nothing less than that.”