NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Cynthia Trapanese, a senior lecturer in the humane education program at Antioch University, will present “Teaching to be kind: Humane Education in the Classroom” for Stephen F. Austin State University’s Montgomery Professorship for Human Education Speaker Series at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 in the Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center.
SFA’s Montgomery Professorship for Humane Education was awarded to Dr. Sarah Straub, associate professor in the Department of Education Studies, in October 2020. The professorship was established by the late Charlotte Baker Montgomery in memory of her husband, Roger, to encourage and perpetuate the teaching of humane education in elementary and secondary schools, both public and private, through the support of teacher preparation in humane education. This presentation will be the third in the recent speaker series.
“Antioch University’s humane education program is affiliated with the Institute for Humane Education, a national institution committed to empowering people of all ages to build a more just, healthy and peaceful world,” Straub said. “Cynthia was identified and presented to the Humane Education Advisory Committee for approval this past summer for her work in both the elementary and higher education settings as well as her expertise in responsive classroom teaching, transformational learning, creativity in practice, grief and loss and curriculum design. The HEAC unanimously approved Cynthia as SFA’s 2024 Montgomery invited speaker.”
In her speech, Trapanese will discuss the idea of humane education, provide an overview of the holistic human education movement, explore the progressive ways to create a classroom community based on care, and describe the role of awe and joy in transformative teaching and learning.
“I am most excited about the fact that Cynthia is currently in the field,” Straub said. “Our undergraduate students love learning from folks who are intimately connected with the classroom, and she is currently in her own elementary classroom. In addition to this practitioner lens, Cynthia also is a champion for creative expression and a community of care, which are beautiful models to show to our pre-service teachers.”
This event will offer both Zoom and face-to-face attendance options. Register for the event here, gosfa.com/Trapanese, to reserve an in-person seat. Only 100 seats are available, and the first 50 face-to-face registrants will receive a free copy of “The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries” by Zoe Weil, the first Montgomery series speaker. There will be light snacks provided by SFA’s Early Childhood Student Organization.
For more information, contact Straub at straubsm@sfasu.edu.