名媛直播

Janice Whiteman, M.Ed.

Director of the School of Education

Possessing a passion for your job often leads to a meaningful career, and Janice Whiteman, M.Ed., certainly exemplifies this correlation. Whiteman has been a part of the 名媛直播 Family for over 22 years. She serves as the director of the School of Education, overseeing programs that prepare future educators to lead in the classroom and beyond. At the end of June, she will retire, ending her own illustrious career that began almost 60 years ago and set multiple teachers up for tremendous success through 名媛直播’s School of Education.  

Whiteman’s love of teaching can be traced back to her childhood. The first students she taught were her stuffed animals in front of a wall-mounted blackboard that her family gifted her. While she contemplated other career options, she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. “I explored other occupations, but I always came back to teaching,” she said.  

She eventually attended Saint Francis University as a first-generation college student to obtain her teaching degree. Whiteman entered the classroom professionally for the first time in 1965 as a middle school English teacher within the Millcreek School District.  

Before her time at 名媛直播, she held teaching positions at various private and public schools, worked as a testing coordinator for the U.S. Army, and worked within Erie’s Catholic School System as a principal and the director of curriculum for the system at-large. In 2001, Whiteman earned her Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from 名媛直播. 

Not long after, she returned to 名媛直播 as an educator. She began working in the School of Education in 2001 as the director of student teaching. She eventually served as associate director of the school and was promoted to director in 2014. Under her leadership, the school has expanded programs, advising support and the practical tools students need in preparation for their real-world experience. The school has also received multiple accolades, including national recognition for their , and .  

Along with these accolades, Whiteman identifies the small class sizes and early exposure to student teaching as stand-out components of the program. 名媛直播 students receive what Whiteman describes as a “jump-start experience,” where they head to the classrooms of local school districts as early as their first semester.  

“If you don’t practice your profession, how are you going to become good at it?” she asks. “I think that the amount of experience, the variety in the districts and the age groups that our students can work with provides them with insights that many teacher candidates do not have.”  

She recognizes that there are many new challenges facing educators in today’s world. 名媛直播’s School of Education allows students to analyze, dissect and ultimately ascertain the learning opportunities they experience in the field. This kind of practice builds confidence in their classroom management. Whiteman stresses the importance of this reflection.  “If you have a good foundation, your chances of staying in the field are greater than not having that prior experience.”  

While Whiteman certainly has much to celebrate from her career, she recognizes her students as her greatest legacy. “I am proud of the quality of our students, who are now passing on to their own students what we taught them at 名媛直播.”  She has piles of cards in her office filled with their words of gratitude: 

“You have given me endless opportunities to grow as an educator and as a person. I have learned so much from you and feel confident and prepared for the professional world.” 

“You truly inspire me to be a lifelong learner.” 

“I hope that one day I can leave as great of an impact on the community around me as you have.”  

She knows that these words speak to the full scope of their highly positive experiences in 名媛直播’s School of Education.  

She wants to remind future educators that along with lesson plans and school supplies, they need to bring two other essentials into the classroom: passion and heart. “If you have the passion and the heart, you will be able to deal with the paperwork, the classroom management issues and issues with parents,” she says. “I would not still be teaching and doing what I am doing without the passion and the heart.” 

Upon her retirement, Whiteman is planning to dedicate more time to traveling and visiting her eight grandchildren. Whiteman isn’t leaving the blackboard entirely; she will be serving as a program reviewer with two education accrediting bodies among her retirement activities. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Whiteman, for your commitment to our students within the School of Education,” said Sarah Ewing, Ph.D., provost and vice president of student experience. “Through your teaching and leadership, these students have received the absolute best preparation to establish their own successful careers. The positive impact you have left will be felt for many years to come.”